By Umar Nsubuga
Physalis peruviana or cape gooseberry also known as the golden berry is a perennial plant that grows to a height of 2-3 feet and it is from the Solanaceae family.
Henry Sekyewa, an agronomist says many people mostly farmers have neglected these gooseberries for years.
Sekyewa says few farmers utilise small portions of their land to plant gooseberries because of the treasure they have discovered in it.
“The gooseberry is a straggling bush that grows from one to three metres tall. It’s a good crop that can be integrated with other fruit trees, but this should not be done for more than one season,” Sekyewa explains.
Joseph Bukenya, a farmer in Kabwomero in Luwero district who grows gooseberries says, he decided to grow the fruit because they have a market.
“I have a huge portion of land with gooseberries, I used to consider it a wild crop for hunters and young children. Later on, when I saw my neighbour growing it seriously, I decided to do the same”, he says.
Richard Ayo, a resident of Janda in Zirobwe says he has about 300 plants in different parts of his garden.
Ayo says he has also established several nursery beds to boost the crop’s cultivation.
Sekyewa says gooseberries can be planted at a spacing of two metres. The plant takes two months in a nursery bed and it takes five months before they can first be harvested.
A farmer can continue harvesting twice a week, for eight months after that. A single plant can give a farmer about 20 kilos, and a kilo goes between sh3,000 and sh5,000.
The fact that gooseberries were regarded as a bush crop, makes it susceptible to caterpillars and the magpie moth.
Sekyewa says the most effective way of getting rid of the destructive insect is to look at each bush carefully and pick off the larvae by hand; when they are larger, they may be shaken off by striking the branches, but by that time, the harm is generally done, the eggs are laid on the leaves during the previous season.
Uses of cape gooseberry
Its fruits contain pectin which helps in calcium as well as phosphorus absorption thus good for making the bones stronger.
It is rich in fructose hence good for diabetic patients, it is also rich in vitamin A which is good for the eyes. Sekyewa adds that the plant also helps in boosting the body’s immune system.
They can be added to salads or desserts.
