Income, sap yield and effects of sap tapping on palms in south-eastern Africa

The small size and yield of Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata palms in south-eastern Africa makes palm wine tapping a labour-intensive activity providing a subsistence income. Despite these disadvantages, tapping and sale of fermented Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata palm sap, together with pastoralism and gathering of wild fruits are important uses of the palmveld. During the period November 1981 – October 1982, a single representative palm wine tapper tapped 712 palms (902 stems), producing 4 846 litres palm wine. Successive groups of tapped palms showed a characteristic rise and fall in sap yields. The sustainable use and improved economic returns from this resource are discussed in relation to tapping technique. Altered tapping technique would allow recovery of tapped stems and a shift towards larger size classes of higher yielding palms. At present this is not possible due to the complications of communal land ownership and multiple use of the palmveld