2023-07-09 22:15:35
For two to three years, it has been increasingly difficult to find passion fruit on the shelves of Ivorian markets. In 5 years, the price of the fruit has increased sixfold, from 500 to 3,000 CFA francs per kilo.
From our correspondent in Abidjan,
With its purple petals, its crown of mauve-blue filaments and its sophisticated architecture, the passion flower is a splendor of nature. Unfortunately, this year again, it is absent from Mamadou Soumahoro’s passionflower fields.
That day, the farmer finds no fruit in his field. The leaves turn yellow, the stems turn brown and their growth is suddenly stopped. This is the third time that he will replace his passionflower feet. What is this strange disease that has infected all the passionflower fields in the country, from Azaguié to Tiassalé? The farmer wonders.
« No idea of its name, it’s a disease that surprised us like that. Well, I don’t know if it’s a soil thing, but only, I have no idea of this disease. The whole region, up to Tiassalé, there is this problem. I have colleagues there, they say it’s a problem to have a seal of passion. It’s a general illness, it’s everywhere. »
The trail of brown spot disease?
At the same time, three years ago, he was harvesting 15 50-kilo sacks a week compared to barely 2 or 3 last year. Mamadou Soumahoro is not however discouraged and wishes to safeguard a once profitable activity. ” I insist because it is a culture that feeds its man. And then it’s a culture that I really like. Passion is very exciting he laughs.
Contacted, the CNRA, the National Center for Agronomic Research, does not know more. Other specialists refer to brown spot disease. The lush climbing plant needs a lot of water, it appreciates marshy bottoms and the sun. Before being tamed by farmers, it grew naturally in the south-east of the country, recalls Sylvestre Boni, nurseryman in Azaguié Aoua.
« Passionflower originally gave naturally. But as there is a lack of fallow because of the intensive cultivation of rubber, oil palms, cocoa… that’s why it doesn’t work. AToday you’re not going to find twenty people making passionflower, but before there were over 50 here “recalls Sylvestre Boni.
Natural passion fruit juice, often mixed with lemon juice, once a must in the maquis of Abidjan, is now almost impossible to find.
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