In Zambia, research in fruit crops started in early seventies. Little work has been done on indigenous fruit plants. This paper outlines previous research studies and highlights achievements and research gaps. In Zambia fruits play a major role in the diets of most households.
Fruits are a good source of essential vitamins and minerals.
The production and processing of fruits are labour intensive and therefore save to provide employment to a large segment of the population. A lot of people are involved in the marketing and trading of fruits to earn income. Fruits, especially indigenous species are well adapted and can ensure household food security during periods of natural diasters such as droughts. The tropical climatic conditions in Zambia provide opportunities for the cultivation of various types of fruit species such as Mango, papaya, bananas, guava, passion fruit, loquat, pineapple, avocado, citrus, apple, pear, peach, pomegranate, apricot, plum and grapes. The indigenous fruit species are collected from the wild and are largely under utilised.