Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
MANICALAND has been handed a golden opportunity to directly export its horticultural produce to China — a move expected to boost the province’s GDP, raise farmers’ earnings, and increase Zimbabwe’s export receipts.
This follows the arrival of top Chinese buyers in the province this week to seal deals with producers of macadamia nuts, sesame, chilli, avocados, blueberries, and other high-value crops.
The buyers, brought in by ZimTrade, are major agricultural wholesalers with vast distribution networks.
Their direct engagement with farmers is set to cut out exploitative middlemen who have long eroded producer profits.
On Wednesday, the delegation met farmers and Government officials in Mutare for business-to-business discussions.
They then toured farms, orchards, and packaging facilities across the province on yesterday (Thursday) and today (Friday) to assess production and handling practices first-hand.
Chinese Embassy Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Mr Huang Minghai, said the signing of trade protocols between Zimbabwe and China, coupled with the removal of tariffs on African products next year, could see Zimbabwe’s agricultural exports to China surpass US$1 billion annually.
He urged local farmers to scale up production and take advantage of China’s vast market, which is increasingly demanding high-quality, organic produce — a niche Zimbabwean farmers are well-positioned to fill.
“China, with a population of over 1,4 billion and a rapidly expanding middle-income group, is one of the largest importers of agricultural products. Chinese consumers are increasingly pursuing high-quality, diverse and green agricultural products from across the globe, creating enormous market potential for Zimbabwe’s distinctive agricultural produce. In 2025, China’s total agricultural imports reached US$207,44 billion, fully demonstrating the vast scale and strong demand of the Chinese market.
“Grain was the largest import category, with 141 million tonnes imported at a value of US$60 billion, meat ranked second, with six million tonnes at US$23 billion, fruits and nuts nine million tonnes worth US$20 billion and edible vegetable oil, seven million tonnes valued at US$8,6 billion.
“Among China’s agricultural import sources, Zimbabwe ranks 33rd globally and second in Africa, only after South Africa. Zimbabwe’s exports to China amounted to US$804 million in 2025, accounting for 31 percent of its total exports to China – a figure that underscores the robust growth potential of our bilateral agricultural trade. Zimbabwe’s main agricultural exports to China include tobacco, macadamia nuts, natural gums and resins, castor oil seeds, cut flowers, vegetable fats and oils and cotton, with tobacco alone contributing nearly US$800 million to Zimbabwe’s agricultural exports to China in 2025.
“In the macadamia nut market, China imported US$192 million worth of products in 2025, with Zimbabwe as the third-largest supplier, exporting US$11,6 million, following South Africa and Australia. These figures clearly show that while Zimbabwe has secured a foothold in the Chinese market, there remains vast room for expansion, especially in high-value horticultural products where Zimbabwe has unique competitive advantages.
“I wish to highlight a landmark policy that will reshape China-Africa trade relations. Effective May 1, 2026, China will grant zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries, including Zimbabwe. This is a pivotal move in China’s high-level opening up, a concrete measure to support Africa’s development amid a volatile and uncertain global economy, and a testament to China’s firm commitment to mutual benefit and shared development,” said Mr Huang.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza said the province is leveraging on its favourable climatic conditions to become the epi-centre of horticulture production, and farmers must fully embrace the opportunity that has been opened by China through the intervention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Minister Mugadza said the long-standing cordial relationship between the two nations is now yielding economic benefits through trade protocols.
“This engagement marks an important milestone in the continued growth of economic and trade relations between Zimbabwe and China. Over the years, our two countries have deepened cooperation in a number of strategic areas, which culminated in the signing of key trade protocols for products such as macadamia, citrus, avocados and blueberries. These arrangements are a clear demonstration of China’s confidence in Zimbabwe’s agricultural production systems and regulatory standards. They also represent significant opportunities for our farmers and exporters to access one of the world’s largest and most dynamic consumer markets.
“Manicaland is renowned for the production of high-value crops such as macadamia nuts, avocados, chillies, coffee, tea and sesame. The favourable climatic conditions, fertile soils, abundant water resources and hardworking farmers have positioned the province as one of the country’s leading horticultural production regions. With its diverse agro-ecological zones, strong farming tradition and increasing investment in value chains, the province is well placed to drive national growth in horticultural production and exports. Agriculture remains a key pillar of our economy, and the expansion of horticultural exports is vital in generating foreign currency, creating employment, uplifting rural communities and improving household livelihoods,” said Minister Mugadza.
Chentu Zongtuo International Trade executive president, Mr Yifan Chen, said they are looking to strike deals with Zimbabwean farmers to supply them with high-quality produce that the country is known for.
“We are here in Zimbabwe to link with farmers so that they supply us with horticultural products. In China, there is huge demand for avocados and other healthy foods. Here, there is the good quality wanted by the Chinese market. We need to build more relationships and cooperation so that more Zimbabwean products get to China,” he said.
In an interview, ZimTrade chief executive officer, Mr Allan Majuru, said they are pushing Zimbabwean farmers to take advantage of the existing trade protocols between China and Zimbabwe to export more products into the Asian giant.
“For the past years, Zimbabwe and China have signed three protocols on citrus, avocados and blueberries. Our role now is to make sure that we sensitise our farmers and the Chinese buyers for them to take advantage of these protocols. We are in the process of discussing the placement of sesame and chillis for them to be exported to China. Our farmers need to have an appreciation of the market we have in China, and that is why we decided to have this engagement primarily in Manicaland Province because this is where most of the horticultural farmers are,” said Mr Majuru.
Chipinge Avocado Growers Association secretary, Mrs Daphne Mbanje, said in preparation to export to China, avocado farmers have already secured the necessary clearance and are ready to strike deals with the buyers.
“We are happy to have such engagement with the Chinese buyers who have come all the way to see for themselves how we produce and pack our products. This will push us to produce the correct varieties preferred by the buyers. Market-led farming is the way to go. We now have all the necessary paperwork and certificates required to export to China, and we now wait to clinch deals with the buyers. We are ready to ship our produce into the Chinese market. Currently, we are supplying the local market and also some middlemen where we get very low prices,” she said.
Macadamia Marketing and Production Farmers’ Cooperative chairman, Mr Landelani Mapungwana, whose group has over 700 smallholder farmers, said their dream to export directly has been revived through the engagement with the buyers.
“This engagement is very important for us because we can now deal directly with the buyer as opposed to the middlemen. It is each farmer’s wish to directly export their products and get maximum value. Our group has the capacity to produce 1 500 tonnes of macadamia nuts. We now have all the necessary papers for us to export to China,” said Mr Mapungwana.
