There has been growing appetite for Zimbabwe fresh fruit and vegetables on theworld market, as new markets open up to the produce says ZimTrade, the country’s trade development and promotion organisation whose mandate is to Energise Zimbabwe’s Export Growthby developing viable and sustainable international trade.
Horticulture is a low-hanging fruit for Zimbabwe, according to Karen Mudekunye, communications officer at ZimTrade based in the capital, Harare.
In a statement to The Afronews, Mukwedeya says it is essential opportunities and conditions of access are optimised as new markets become available.
“Zimbabwe is known for its favourable climatic conditions and organics produce which is currently in high demand across the world due to increased health awareness . . . especially after the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mukwedeya says, stressing that as such the country has a great opportunity to grow its exports of fresh produce, ”as well as diversify its export destinations”.
According to Trade Map, top fresh fruits and vegetables exported are citrus, blueberries, pineapples and avocadoes and fresh vegetables. For the past five years the industry has been on the up and up, with interesting developments taking place on the ground.
”International demand for our fresh produce – especially organic varieties – is growing strongly, and Zimbabwe exports have grown accordingly,” says Mukwedeya.
Blueberries are one of the newer horticultural crops in the country export container, with the berries grown in Mashonaland East, West and Central. According to the The Horticultural Development Council,the country exported 2000metric tonnes actual in 2020 and reaching up to 5000tonnesthe following year.
Avocados also caught the eye with of the UK and the EU markets with 8500netric tonnes exported. Zimbabwe exports the hass variety.
And the traditional citrus fruits – Lemons, Mandarins, and Oranges – were not to be outdone with the current production area approx. 3000 ha. Most of the exported produce – 3000 tonnes – coming from Beitbridge. New orchards are being established in Mashonaland and Midlands.
Recently ZimTrade facilitated local companies at the world’s biggest fair for fresh produce, Fruit Logistica Fair, in Berlin, Germany, where buyers from different countries and regions remarked on Zimbabwe’s fresh produce and its quality.
“These efforts have culminated in various trade agreements that ensure local exporters enjoy trade benefits, and make them competitive on the international trade markets,” says Mukwedeya.
Most of the country’s fresh produce is destined for China, the Netherlands, Germany the UK and the United Arab Emirates.
Welcoming the recently signed citrus protocol with China – one of the biggest importers of citrus – ZimTrade believes this will go a long way in contributing to the rise in citrus exports to the Asian markets.
“Additionally, we have the EU-ESA interim-economic partnership agreement with the EU as well as the UK-ESA-EPA that assist local exporters to be competitive, with favourable preferential treatment including lower or total waiver duties,” she reiterates, highlighting the importance of seizing the opportunities available.
ZimTrade also believes that the returns that growers achieve by gaining access to the export markets had boosted confidence and were a confirmation that longer-term opportunities lay ahead.
“As such, the ministry of foreign affairs and international trade and trade organisations such as ZimTrade have focused on the engagement and re-engagement agenda on fostering viable trade opportunities for local companies,” explains ZimTrade.
