Growing Food: A Guide to Food Production

UTILISATION

•

preserves. They can also be canned. Mangoes are a good source of Vitamin A,

though the amount depends on the variety and the colour of fruit—apricot

Vitamins C (37 mg/100 g) and D, as well as about 14% total sugars, mainly in

• 
  


• 
  


• 
  


• 
  

  buildings.

  
  

LIMITATIONS

• years;


• 
  


• 
  

  trees grown from seed, and the fruit is difficult to transport without loss of
  quality.

  
  

Papaya (Pawpaw)
Carica papaya

Papaw. Papaye (French); Mamão{fruit and plant}, Mamoeiro, Papaeira, Pinoguaçu
{plant} (Portuguese); Papaya (Amharic, Ethiopia)

Papaya originated in tropical America, probably around present day Mexico and
Costa Rica, and is now widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics, and to
some extent in warm temperate regions. The trees are mainly grown on a very small
scale, in back yards and so on, but in places such as Australia, South Africa, Mexico,
Brazil, Indonesia and Hawaii they are grown on a field scale. The annual production
worldwide is estimated to be about 2 million MT.
Papaya is a member of the Caricaceae family and should not be confused with
the other Pawpaw or Papaw, Asimina triloba, the Custard Apple, a member of the
Annonaceae family, which produces small, fleshy 8–18 cm long fruit that looks
rather like stubby bananas.
The Mountain Papaya (C. pubescens syn. C. candamarcensis) is a native of the
Andes and is cultivated at high altitudes in the tropics. The small fruits are cooked
before eating and can be made into jam.

—

261

coloured fruit has the highest level. The fruit also provides useful amounts of

Ripe fruit—eaten raw and also to produce juice, squash, jams, jellies and

the form of sucrose.

Unripe fruit—rich in starch, used in pickles and chutneys. Also sliced, dried

and seasoned with turmeric to produce amchur.

Seeds—can be ground into flour and used as human food during famine 70%

carbohydrate, 10% fat and 6% protein.

Leaves—if little or nothing else is available the leaves can be fed to cattle,

though they may die if given this diet for too long.

Timber—for making boats and dugouts, and also in the construction of

GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK

Mango trees may only produce a good crop of fruit only every two, three or four

The trees are also susceptible to insect damage, and they are sensitive to frost;

Minimum period of four years from planting to first harvest—even longer for