WEBINAR ON ‘PROPECTS AND EXPANSION OF GUAVA PRODUCTION AND TRADE’

Another minor tropical fruit that is increasingly popular and can be further developed for global markets is Guava. Guava or Psidium guajava from the Myrtaceae family is believed to have originated from Central and South America. It commercially grown in countries in the tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Southeast Asia, South America, Africa, USA, Oceania and the Middle East.

According to FAO, the main countries producing guava in 2019 were India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Brazil with production of 21.8, 4.8, 3.8, 3.1, 2.3 and 2.1 million tons the same year respectively.

Many commercial varieties of guava have been developed that are normally distinguished by their size, thickness and colour of rind, taste and sometimes the seed content of fruit. Many commercial varieties either have a red, pinkish or a light cream coloured flesh.

The fruit is well known   for its positive health attributes, especially vitamin C and A, polyphenols and folate which are believed to reduce conditions such as constipation, management blood sugar levels and improve immunity. The nutritional content of the fruit differs according to the flesh color. The fruit is normally consumed fresh, or processed as dried fruit, juice, puree and others.

Cultivation of guava, though relatively easy, has its fair share of challenges including control of pests and diseases, especially fruit flies, and sustaining production through best agronomic practices such as pruning and fertilizing.

While guava is a relatively popular, due to it being grown in many tropical and subtropical regions, the export market is currently limited.  The consumer market for the fruit will improve with superior varieties, good quality and taste with a longer shelf life.

Foreseeing the growing demand for the fruit, TFNet will be organizing a webinar on the prospects of expanding the production and trade of guava on Thursday 9^th November at 2.00 pm.

The objectives of the webinar are:

1. To share information among guava researchers, producers, processors and exporters on the current production, processed products, market trends and challenges in developing the fruit.
2. To share information among stakeholders on the various initiatives that can be taken to increase guava production and markets, including varietal development, best farm practices, postharvest management, research and development focus and policies to encourage its cultivation.
3. To discuss initiatives to enhance the visibility of guava in global markets.
4. To establish networking ties among guava and other tropical fruits stakeholders.

The webinar will give an insight of the common varieties grown, best practices, production status, consumer preference, processing options, market, challenges and opportunities from countries that are aggressively developing the fruit.

WEBINAR DATE: 9 NOVEMBER 2023 (THURSDAY).

Time: 2.00 pm (Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Guangzhou), 11.30 am (Delhi) 1.00 pm (Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta), 7.00 pm (Suva)

To participate in the webinar, kindly register at:

Registration link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqcOivrTkuHtSsarl0Icnsy8GPYeRmvbmj

 

SPEAKERS AND TENTATIVE PROGRAM

Time	Content
2.00 – 2.10 PM	Introduction Dorothy Chandrabalan (TFNet)
2.10 – 3.50 PM	PRESENTATIONS Chair: Dorothy Chandrabalan (TFNet)
		1.Dr. C. Vasugi Principal Scientist, Division of Fruit crops, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, India ‘Sustaining guava production for the domestic and export market in India’
		2. Prof. Dr. Ridzwan Sobir Center of Tropical Horticulture Studies, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia ‘Recent developments in guava production and market in Indonesia’
		3. Mr. Ahmad Hafiz bin Baharom Senior Research Officer Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Serdang, Malaysia ‘The status of guava production in Malaysia and the breeding program in MARDI’
		4. Mr. Shalendra Prasad Head of Research Ministry of Agriculture Fiji ‘Developing guava to diversify tropical fruits production, consumption and exports in Fiji – a success story’
		5. Dr. Xuahoa Shao Fruit Tree Research Institute, Guandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, China ‘Recent developments in guava production and market in China’
3.50 – 4.30 PM	Q & A, Panel discussion Moderator: Yacob Ahmad (TFNet) Panel: All speakers Topic: Challenges and opportunities in developing guava for the global market