Berries star as horticulture earnings shoot to US$82m

Agriculture Specialist Writer 

THE various recovery strategies introduced to revitalise the horticulture sector have begun to pay off with the country recording a surge in export earnings from US$72,9 million in 2021 to adopted with to US$81, 6 million in 2022 marking a 12 percent increase. 

Figures availed by ZimStats for the period January to December 2022 indicate that US$86 608 300 was realised from horticulture exports last year against US$72 887 420 recorded in 2021.

A composite horticulture volume of 130 667 406 kilogrammes was exported in 2022, a one percent increase from 2021’s figure of 129 422 004. 

The tea and coffee section maintained its first place position after generating US$20 million while citrus was displaced from its second place by berries, which climbed the ladder from fifth position in 2021. 

Exports of berries doubled from US$7 million in 2021 to US$14 million in 2022 as a result of high prices and increased export volumes.

The average price of berries rose 41 percent from US$2, 14 to US$3,01 per kilogramme while volume increased from 3 343 779 to 4 715 795 kilogrammes.   

The horticulture sector is composed of flowers, vegetables, berries, citrus, nuts, avocados, deciduous and other fruit, cuttings and plants, spices and herbs as well as tea and coffee.   

The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) chief executive officer Mrs Linda Niesen said she could not comment on the subject, as she had not seen the statistics. 

However, she reiterated that access to affordable, patient capital and ease of doing business were some of the things that might grow the sector. 

She called on Government to restore the incentives that were removed in this year’s monetary policy statement saying the move was likely to slacken the sector’s march towards achieving the 2030 target of a US$1 billion industry.

Meanwhile, HDC chairman Mr Stanley Heri pointed out that the increased export foreign currency earnings were a result of growth in the blueberry sector. 

“Growth in the blueberry sector, coupled with young plants moving into the mature, bearing stage (optimal level) was the main reason for this increased trend.   

“Spices and herbs recorded a 106 percent growth in earnings from US$2, 3 to US$4, 8 million,” said Mr Heri. 

He highlighted that chillies produced predominantly by smallholder farmers were playing a crucial role in bolstering earnings. 

“The phenomenal increase in spices and herbs receipts was due to involvement of smallholder farmers who produce the bulk of the chillies. 

“There is scope for increased participation of smallholder farmers especially those in drier agro-ecological regions with irrigation infrastructure to expand production,” said Mr                                                                                                               Heri. 

Zimbabwe Berry Growers Association vice chairman Mr Stuart Torr, maintained that blueberries production was the major cause of the increased production within the berries sector, though in coming years this trend was unlikely to continue. 

“Yields from blueberry plants increase as they mature from year one, doubling the output in year two, reaching their optimal in year three and maintaining that yield from year four subject to good management. 

“As new varieties and market demands change the current established crop may be removed before reaching 10 years,” said Mr Torr.