Pineapple: A Fruit That Takes More Than It Gives

During the last stop on my grand jaunt, pineapple became the fruit of focus. Morogoro region is located at the foothills of the Uluguru Mountains. The elevated terrain creates a climate ideal for pineapple production – little to no irrigation or pesticides needed – but also results in precarious driving conditions along unpaved, bumpy dirt roads.

That said, as our 4x4 adroitly navigated the pathways up to villages in Matombo, Myuguni, and Kinole – the question remains: how do you transport anything without assuming 50% losses just due to road conditions alone?

First arriving to the village of Kiswira, I met with famers who shared this concern. Due to poor road conditions, they rely on buyers arriving to town with empty trucks. As a result, the price offered leaves little room for negotiation and famers often sell below value – and even below cost of production. However, little options for alternatives exist.


Go Longhorns!! (Amazing!)


First stop on the Kiswira Home & Garden Tour


I suspect she does well in price negotiations

After our meeting, the pineapple farmers walked with me to show me a nearby pineapple plot – and another where orange trees are integrated with pineapple. Pineapple requires space for its leaves to fan, but little else. In this region, pineapple can grow to decent size with little to no irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides. However, unlike citrus trees, which require the same land mass – the pineapple produces a single, or at most, a few fruits. Price does not reward exclusivity in production volume. While the Matombo region is renowned for its “Matombo Sweet” orange variety – with buyers arriving from Kenya to truck back supply – the pineapple is the unfavored child of local production.


Pineapple Glamour Shot

While I learned much from speaking with farmers in the field and professors at Sokoinne University of Agriculture – the resounding message was clear: find us stronger connections to markets. This, of course, is easier said than done.