✕ CLOSE Online Special City News Entrepreneurship Environment Factcheck Everything Woman Home Front Islamic Forum Life Xtra Property Travel & Leisure Viewpoint Vox Pop Women In Business Art and Ideas Bookshelf Labour Law Letters
Click Here To Listen To Trust Radio Live

‘Bell apple more nourishing than imported variety’

What is bell apple?Bell apple is a tropical apple which grows in areas where we have high rainfall and light sunshine and Nigeria is an…

What is bell apple?
Bell apple is a tropical apple which grows in areas where we have high rainfall and light sunshine and Nigeria is an example of such areas where bell apple can grow. But unfortunately, most people in Nigeria are used to the imported apple. Bell apple is given the name because of the bell shape it has. To me, bell apple is more of a discovery though it has been around for close to 60 years from my research findings. But what keeps amazing me is why is it not known to Nigerians? For over five years that I have been researching into it, I discovered that it is not native to us though it grows here being a tropical fruit and that is why you really find those smallish and the whitish apples here. That is one of my discoveries in the last five years. So, bell apple is here yet unknown. Bell shaped with unique taste and health benefits but not like the imported apples that we are used to.
What is the origin of bell apple and where is it grown?
My research has been more of Nigeria for now and currently I have not seen any established farm of bell apple in the country but I heard of a retired General who has a farm in a town in Ogun State but I have not investigated that. I have been travelling around the country and have seen it in so many parts sparsely spaced, no wonder people don’t know bell apple and I have to explain it to them which is a lot easier when it’s fruiting time. When they see the apple they can understand and see the difference between bell apple and the imported apple. I have had customers who travel a lot that said they saw it in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire. It is also found in tropical Asia and America and I think that is the origin because they have the temperate aspect but one thing that keeps baffling me till now is why bell apple is not as popular as the imported apple.
 I discovered that nothing has been done about it. You know the whites are research-oriented and they are promoting theirs while blacks are doing nothing about theirs. Anytime you mention apple your mind goes to the imported apple. Bell apple is our own apple – like we have the tropical rice and the temperate rice, like the Ofada, Abakaliki rice while they have Uncle Bens rice but unfortunately, I realised that we have not been doing anything about our own bell apple.
What nutritional value can you trace specifically to the bell apple?
I have been working with some nutritionists to get that fact and from findings, I think it contains more of potassium which helps in clarity of eyes; it helps those who are hypertensive because it helps in controlling high blood pressure. We also got some discoveries about the vegetative parts in bell apple leaves especially for those who are diabetic. There is something called ‘jamnosine’ discovered which cures diabetes. It also reduces tendency of risk by 20 percent. It has a lot of calcium that is good for bone and that is why I said there is more to this apple and I believe as research continues, more of these discoveries will  be made.
Is there any specific uniqueness of bell apple against the imported one?
Firstly, in terms of size bell apple is bigger, also in term of colour, bell apple is at its best. When it is towards the tail end of its harvest, it becomes wine coloured and it looks so attractive that no one can resist it compared to the imported apple. Also, inside the bell apple is this big brown seed unlike the other apple with several smallish seeds and then, the taste is unique because it is sweet and sour and the sour aspect will tell one that it must be medicinal. So, I will basically say that bell apple is unique in terms of size, colour and taste.
How much does it involve to start bell apple farm?
For small beginners, if you have N20,000 you can start bell apple farming. You get the seed for N100.00, you will be taught how to raise seedlings and by the time it gets to 2 to 3 months you are sure of getting the market to sell for a minimum of N500.00. But if you wait longer, by the time it gets to five months the price goes higher, may be you can sell for N1,000.00 and the time they grow older, you sell higher but we target those ones during the rainy season. People buy more during the raining season and when it is harvest time, the fruit will be readily available. One thing that amazes me is that the moment people see the fruit, they like it. Then, if you are growing bigger, you will need 26 plants per plot with a space of five by five metres between the trees. We have been doing all these reaching out to the government and I think this can be an empowerment area for people. People that have passion for agriculture especially youths and that is why I think government can come in. I have approached some and they promised to look into it but at end of the day nothing happens and that is why I am trying to create more awareness and I am looking at the private sector and investors.
How do you address the challenges of bats in bell apple plantation?
We have the challenge of bats during fruiting period, whenever it’s fruiting, apple is attractive. But there is always a way out which is simply to control the bats. Generally, there is no challenge, no known disease to bell apple. I met a professor during the course of my research at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and he said why is it that I cannot mention a particular disease that affects the plant, either from the seedling stage or the fruit stage. I said probably because we have the fruit still scattered all over the country; by the time we start having them as plantation we may have such challenges but I tell you now I can’t mention any known disease except I get online at any stage.
But I know of bats and generally birds during fruiting periods. At that period, you will see marks on many fruits attacked by birds and we are always very careful whenever we sell. I harvest freshly from the farm. As a researcher, I have taken it as a duty to go to the farm and harvest fresh without any bruises and when you see it you will know.
How long does ripe apple stay before getting rot?
Averagely, it takes three days in an open atmosphere and it starts shrinking after three days getting smaller in size due to exposure. But I later tried refrigerating them and realised that they can stay longer – two weeks or thereabouts. So, we are having a serious challenge as regards preservation and I have been talking to people I went to meet and they include one of my mentors as regards the issue of preservation who told me that there are two types of refrigeration; there is the chilling and the freeze facility. She made me understand that I need the chilling which will allow for export because people are calling me from UK and other places and I wonder how I will take it over there; that is my worry. The refrigeration I tried the other time was the normal fridge at home but could not stay chilled longer than a month. I am looking at a chilling that will preserve it for three to four months so that at any time the fruits will be readily available. I don’t want to use any preservation method that will involve the use of chemicals which is another challenge because people complain about health implications of chemicals used in preserving the imported apple. The chemical is called Kew and some wax materials I don’t want that.
Can the apple be processed into juice, powder or concentrate form like with other fruits?
Yes, we have done that and we have it as fruit juice. I have tried that myself, put it into jam. The unique one is the fruit wine that is amazing when you pick the fruit during harvest time. The aroma is like that of fruit wine. Then the ultimate to me is to get it into concentrate. I am working with Terago, a fruit juice concentrate producing firm in Benue State and they are trying to see how that can be achieved. I think that is going to be the ultimate method of preservation for juice concentrate which will enable us produce fruit wine from local fruits.
We discovered one thing recently, which is that we can also process it into dry fruit. I saw a lady based in Netherlands who produces dried fruits and asked her if bell apple can be produced as dried fruit and she said it is possible. We can do that from here and we are making arrangements which will also be another way of preserving it. It has export potentials but I am looking at value addition into it because the white people also want something different – they are tired of their own they like to try something new and unique. Bell apple is exportable as fresh fruits, concentrate, dried fruit, jam, marmalade and juice so, it is a generational thing.

Akinyemi Oluwagbenga is an agronomist who is researching into the potentials of bell apple as an alternative to the imported variety. In this interview, he shares some of his discoveries and challenges of bell apple in Nigeria. Excerpts:

VERIFIED: It is now possible to live in Nigeria and earn salary in US Dollars with premium domains, you can earn as much as $12,000 (₦18 Million).
Click here to start.