3. Mr. M.K. Papademetriou, Senior Plant Production and Protection Officer, FAO, Bangkok, Thailand, pointed out that when we talk about development of deciduous fruits in Asia our mind goes immediately to the cooler highlands (hill and mountainous areas) of Asia. Those are the areas where the poorest of the poor and the most marginal of the marginal farmers live. The problems of agriculture in those areas are many and complex ones, and they are of concern to every government. They are also of concern to FAO and other International Organizations.
4. The poor agriculture with its low level of diversification is no longer sufficiently interesting as an economic activity to attract the people who live in those areas. Consequently, many of them abandon the hill and mountainous areas, migrating to the towns with the hope for better living. This leads to a degradation of the status of agriculture, not to mention the damage to the natural environment resulting from neglect.
5. By developing deciduous fruit trees in the highlands the farmers’ income can be substantially improved and erosion problems can be reduced. Deciduous fruits tend to be high value crops and in the tropics are highly marketable. However, on the one hand many technical problems related to the development of deciduous fruits such as apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot, persimmon etc., need to be solved. On the other hand the results already obtained in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Thailand merit dissemination.
6. Strengthening cooperation among countries and institutions in production development is very important. A forum like this will allow us to learn from each other. We must explore the possibilities of sharing our experiences for mutual benefit. It is in this context that this Consultation has been convened. He then outlined the objectives of the Expert Consultation.
7. Dr. Soetatwo Hadiwigeno, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, welcomed the participants on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, the staff of the Regional Office and his own behalf. He stated that he was glad to see the keen interest shown by the fruit experts in Asia on a subject which is of high economic significance to many less endowed communities living in relative isolation, where social structures need help to build up and improve their agricultural base. Since production problems in this unique agro-ecological niche are common to all countries, FAO has decided to host this consultation in order to provide a forum to discuss and deliberate on common problems in a spirit of inter-country cooperation.
8. Many countries in Asia have physiographic features and climatic conditions that could be effectively exploited for the production of deciduous fruits. However, the production systems that are already in place and which have been developed by farmers themselves are comparatively inefficient and less competitive. These traditional systems are no longer economically viable. Whilst many farmers in the highlands have held on to these traditional systems as a means of survival, others have abandoned these areas and moved in search of better prospects. Vast areas that have been abandoned have been subject to environmental degradation through neglect. Many governments have resorted to interventions such as reforestation to stabilize these areas. Whilst these attempts have helped to restore the ecological balance, the problem of depopulation has not been arrested and most countries are grappling with the problem of re-settling people in these areas and improving the conditions for farmers to develop agriculture on a settled basis.
9. In searching for viable alternatives for the hilly and mountainous areas, we may attempt to promote a transformation of existing traditional systems in favor of commercialized and more remunerative production systems. Most countries today have active researchers working on the adaptation of new crops and better varieties, which have high marketability. However, since farm holdings are relatively small and the terrain is difficult to manage, a highly specialized crop diversification plan is needed to intensify agriculture to the extent that farmers derive greater benefits for their effort. Deciduous fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, plums apricots, nectarines, persimmons etc, seem to adapt well to the highland areas. These crops also help to stabilize hill slopes and arrest environmental degradation, even without resorting to expensive bench terracing, which has been the traditional system in the hill and mountainous areas.
10. Transport is often difficult from some of the inaccessible areas, but these fruits tend to have better shelf life and storability than most tropical fruits and are also more amenable to drying. Other possibilities for the producer are simple fruit preservation techniques in order to help better utilization and marketing. Once these fruits reach urban markets, there is ready acceptance as they are non-traditional commodities much sought after by consumers.
11. As mentioned earlier, highland areas of the tropics are characterized by steep slopes and highly indented valleys that have poor road accessibility and communications. Most areas support populations that have few avenues for development, which often results in abandoning the land and migrating to lower elevations and urban areas, which offer alternate avenues for survival. There is also a lack of programs for such regions, as they are not well patronized by governments or by the private sector. A well-organized development plan for the production of deciduous fruits would help generate more income through the supply of these non-traditional commodities to markets within each country and can even substitute expensive imports. It must be borne in mind however, that there are many production technology gaps for the successful cultivation of deciduous fruits in tropical highlands. This is a challenge for the production specialists who are called upon to cater to the needs of every crop and variety.
12. The first step in the process of deciduous fruit development would be to identify superior varieties of quality fruit, which are market demanded and suitable for different growing areas in each country. These varieties should be vegetatively propagated using appropriate rootstocks. Availability of high quality planting material is of paramount importance in the whole process. Similarly, appropriate crop management practices such as training and pruning of the plants, fertilizer application, weeding, mulching, supplementary irrigation, pest and disease control etc. can play a very important role in increasing the production and productivity of the crop. It should be noted that plant protection is an important component of the crop management programme. However, in order to develop an eco-friendly package, it will be necessary to reduce dependence on chemical control methods and to switch over to integrated pest management practices. Processing and marketing issues are equally important and need to be given due attention. There is also a need to strengthen advisory services to guide the agricultural communities in the proper adoption of new innovations.
13. Countries in the region have highland areas with similar climates. It must not be ignored that many agricultural communities have developed several useful technologies on their own. These useful technologies that have evolved over a period of many years should also be given due recognition. What is now needed is to assimilate this information, refine the technologies where and when necessary, and share such information among countries. This will help expansion of deciduous fruit culture to other areas where diversification and development are needed.
