Fruit changes farmers’ lives

| November 2, 2015

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This week’s story from Senegal talks about how farmers can benefit from growing mango trees. Our Script of the week talks about women growing fruit trees.

A large percentage of the farmers in our communities are women. But some men still have not accepted women’s leadership in any way, including full access to and control of land and resources. For example, there are still men who feel that women should not plant any trees, including fruit trees.

But things are changing. Many communities are thinking about women’s issues. In some communities, attitudes towards women are undergoing drastic positive change.

In western Kenya, some women are involved in agroforestry, and women are increasingly involved in growing fruit crops to boost their income. This is a good start, but more awareness is needed of the role that trees—and especially fruit trees—can play in women’s (and their family’s) daily lives, both economically and socially.

Fruit crops which can boost farm income include: mango, orange, apple, passion fruit, banana, pineapple, guava, avocado, pear, pawpaw, and coconut.

This script could help interested farmers understand some of the benefits of growing fruit. It also offers some basic information on planting three different types of fruit trees—avocado, pineapple and banana.

http://www.farmradio.org/radio-resource-packs/package-81/fruit-changes-farmers-lives/