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Panashe Chikonyora
Business Reporter
Horticultural producers have been urged to comply with health regulations imposed by the European Union on some products, saying this would enhance the country’s competitiveness on the global market.
The EU new health regulations, which came into effect last week, require a phytosanitary certificate to accompany all fruits and vegetables entering the EU. A phytosanitary certificate is an inspection certificate issued by a competent Government department to show that a particular shipment has been approved to be free from harmful pests and diseases. The EU is the largest market for Zimbabwe’s horticultural products.
43 percent
The main EU market is the Netherlands, which accounts for 43 percent of total horticulture exports, according to Trade Map. Other importers are the United Kingdom Portugal, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Malta, Romania and Greece. Major export crops are citrus, macadamia, avocado, peas, stone fruits, berries and flowers.
Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Mail Business, Nhimbe Fresh Exports executive chairman Mr Edwin Moyo said the measure was a positive step which would prevent the country from incurring losses caused by using banned chemicals and improper handling of fresh produce.
“We work with small-scale farmers; so when we work with them we make sure that they can conform to the EU standards because if we don’t do that the product will be rejected. So, we will provide extension services and tell them exactly what they should grow and how they should grow it, how they should pack it and how they should handle, it’s all safety standards because they will be producing food that is going to be eaten.
Supermarkets
“The products will be delivered to the supermarkets and when someone picks them up and there’s a problem, they will return to the supermarket, so the supermarkets don’t want to be saddled with such types of products. We need to be sending them quality products that are grown under the accreditation of standards requested by the EU.
“We have a very good opportunity in the EU, it’s a big opportunity for Zimbabwe; we should actually be putting resources for that to make sure we can increase our volumes. Once we have increased our volumes, we attract the traffic, the airlines will come in to pick up the produce and we take it from there,” he said.
ZimTrade also commended the EU’s introduction of the plant health regulation on fruit and vegetable imports to the European market saying it would require commitment from the exporters to abide by the requirements for them to export to the EU.
“Generally, exports of foodstuffs are usually regulated, for purposes of keeping food safe for consumption as well as stopping the spread of diseases. So, when considering the new standards, they are not a barrier, but guarantee market access for those meeting the requirements,” ZimTrade chief executive Mr Allan Majuru said.
ZimTrade, which recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Netherlands-based organisation, PUM, to pave way for the successful implementation of the Best Model Farm Project (BMFP), meant to grow horticultural exports from small-scale farmers in Zimbabwe.
“The new regulations will also improve the quality of Zimbabwean produce and competitiveness in the global village,” he added.
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