Investment
capital
is
holding
back
Zimbabwe
from
getting
to
their
goal
of
30,000
metric
tonnes
of
blueberries
grown
by
2030,
remarks
Linda
Nielsen,
the
CEO
of
the
Horticultural
Development
Council.
Zimbabwe
has
already
seen
“incredible”
growth
in
their
blueberry
sector,
surging
from
the
first
exports
in
2017
to
5,500
tonnes
exported
last
year,
making
their
blueberry
industry
the
fastest-growing
in
the
world.
“This
year
we’re
aiming
for
8,000
tonnes.
However,
the
expansion
is
not
from
new
plantings,
but
from
plant
maturity
because
we
still
don’t
have
enough
capital
to
expand,”
Nielsen
says.
She
mentions
challenges
such
as
unfavourable
foreign
exchange
policies
and
high
borrowing
costs
holding
back
the
sector’s
full
potential.
“Our
long-term
goal
is
to
reach
1,500
hectares
of
blueberry
cultivation
by
2030,
producing
30,000
metric
tonnes.
This
could
bring
in
as
much
revenue
as
our
total
horticultural
exports
did
back
in
the
1990s.
But
to
do
this,
we
estimate
that
growers
would
need
a
major
investment
of
around
US$240
million
in
new
investment.”
Blueberry
fields
in
Zimbabwe
Nielsen
continues:
“Zimbabwe’s
overall
horticulture
sector
has
shown
significant
growth
in
recent
years
with
exports
currently
above
113
million
metric
tonnes,
largely
attributed
to
the
resilience
of
traditional
exports
such
as
citrus
and
the
emergence
of
high-demand
crops
like
blueberries.”
Zimbabwe
exports
citrus
to
the
European
Union
and
the
Middle
East
this
year.
The
high
price
for
juice
oranges
created
a
strong
floor
price
for
exports
and
Zimbabwean
citrus
growers
have
strong
domestic
customers
in
juice
manufacturers.
Best
routes
to
market
under
review
The
country
is
well-known
for
its
fine
vegetables,
like
mangetout
peas
(right),
in
the
United
Kingdom
and
the
European
Union,
and
shipping
disruptions
in
the
Red
Sea
present
them
with
an
opportunity
to
position
Zimbabwe
as
a
more
reliable
source
of
fresh
produce,
Nielsen
says.
“That
said,
we
do
face
our
own
logistical
challenges
in
our
region.
We
are
doing
a
lot
of
work
in
assessing
the
best
routes
to
market
through
ports
such
as
Beira
and
Durban,
depending
on
the
crops
and
market
conditions.”
While
Durban
is
one
of
their
key
routes
to
market,
they
have
spent
a
lot
of
effort
over
the
past
year
looking
at
ways
to
diversify
their
export
routes.
Beira
is
a
possible
alternative
for
exports
to
East
Africa
and
the
Middle
East,
noting
that
Beira
is
a
less
efficient
option
for
the
Far
East.
“Our
citrus
growers
tell
us
that
Beira
port
charges
are
less
competitive
than
Durban
for
many
destinations.
So
we
are
always
assessing
options
to
make
sure
our
produce
has
the
best
route
out
to
markets.”
Zimbabwe-China
avo
protocol
A
new
trade
protocol
for
Zimbabwean
avocados
was
signed
with
China
at
the
Forum
for
China-Africa
Cooperation
(FOCAC)
in
September;
a
great
opportunity
for
the
country’s
avocados,
she
notes.
The
Chinese
market
is
vast,
which
is
why
the
industry
plans
to
increase
avocado
hectarage
from
the
current
1,500
hectares
to
4,000ha
by
2030.
Zimbabwe’s
horticultural
plans
will
only
come
to
fruition
with
sufficient
water.
“Water
scarcity
is
a
serious
concern
to
us,
and
that
concern
will
only
be
deeper
if
we
don’t
get
a
substantially
better
rainfall
season
this
year.”
She
calls
climate
change
a
reality
for
which
Zimbabweans
farms
are
preparing
themselves
through
improved
water
management
and
storage.
A
fresh
produce
aisle
in
a
Harare
supermarket
Post
published
in:
Agriculture