Horticulture sector rebounds
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
After the players increased hectarage during the summer cropping season of 2023–2024, the horticulture industry is expected to surpass the record annual earnings of U$140m set in 1999.
Zimbabwe exports its products to Europe, America and Asia.
In the first Crop and livestock assessment, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said horticulture produce performed well against the difficult conditions.
“There was a general increase in area planted for most horticultural crops in the 2022/2023 agricultural season.
“The area under blueberry increased by 1% from 643 ha in the 2022/2023 season to 650 ha in the 2023/2024 season. Pecan nut recorded a 20% increase in area planted from 762 ha in the 2022/2023 season to 913 ha in the current season,” Dr Masuka said.
However, the tea area decreased by 14 % to 4 868 ha in the 2023/2024 season from 5 662ha in the 2022/2023 season
The horticultural sector was affected by the land reform programme 20 years ago but is recovering due to increased investment.
Experts said the country is targeting US$1bn in exports by 2030.
The southern African country’s horticultural exports peaked at US$140m in 1999, before taking a nosedive from early 2000.
Zimbabwe is now earning $120m annually from exports of horticultural products including citrus, flowers, tea, avocados, blueberries and macadamia nuts, according to the Horticultural Development Council (HDC).
“We have to grow 10 times to reach this goal and obviously it calls for rapid expansion in the sector,” HDC Vice President Linda Nielsen recently said.
The targeted growth would require US$1.2bn investment, according to the HDC, an uphill task for a sector struggling with an inconsistent policy and regulatory environment, high borrowing costs, logistics challenges and persistent concerns over land tenure.
Experts said increasing investment in products such as blueberries and macadamia nuts, whose global demand has surged in recent years, is helping traditional products such as citrus, tea and flowers to drive the rebound.
The European Union is a major market for Zimbabwe’s horticultural exports, and is also providing technical support and funding through the European Investment Bank.
