Acai sunshine coast palms have only recently gained importance as a food crop. Previously, they used to grow in the wild. With a surge in the popularity of the products derived from the plant, their cultivation has become a valuable commercial activity. Acai palms are indigenous to South America and are found in rainforests. They can be planted in similar tropical environments that receive a lot of rainfall. Acai plantations are an important contributor to the economy of many countries. These plantations provide jobs to labour and earn valuable foreign exchange by contributing to exports. Their products can be shipped overseas where they fetch high prices.
The berries of the acai palm are blur to purple in colour. They are the latest health fad these days. They have a sour taste and a dry texture. They are used to manufacture candies, cakes and other baking products. Raw berries are consumed by many wild animals. This means that cultivated berries have to be protected from wildlife. They can be sprayed with insecticides repellent and this keeps away insects and birds.
As many as ten different species of birds eat acai berries in their natural habitat. Another twenty different bird species make their nests on acai plants. Most of these nest in the canopies where they can avoid predators. Some nest in the hollows of tree trunks. Parrots and toucans are the most common birds around acai palms. Parrots often carve out their nests on the trunks of palms. Their wood is hard and of a yellowish colour. Most of these birds are seasonal migratory ones that spent winters in rainforests where acai palms grow. The berries are very nutritious and contain vitamin A with traces of iron and potassium. They are also rich in acids that help offset the alkaline contents of the birds’ stomachs.
Many herbivores consume acai leaves as food. Many deer species eat the fruit and leaves of the acai palm. Some deer also eat foliage and bark. The bark has medicinal properties and improves the animals’ health. Some smaller mammals such as marmosets consume the sap of the tree. They are often observed biting into the bark of the tree where it is tender on order to induce the flow of sap. The sap itself is sweet and attracts many insects. This is the reasons many bees make their nests around and on acai palms. The palms grow to be over fifty feet tall sometimes. This provides a lot of protection to the animal species that make them their homes.
Acai palms are an important part of most ecosystems. They provide food and shelter to innumerable lifeforms. Even a dead acai palm consists of several living thriving ecosystems. Most termite mounds are found near the base of acai palms. Dead acai palm trunks decompose more easily. We also do frozen acai wholesale. 