Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) recently convened meetings with certified consultants to review Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBAL.G.A.P) audit steps, aiming to facilitate Zimbabwe’s horticultural growers’ access to international markets.
The council confirmed the meeting in a post on X.
“Delighted to host Mr James Andrew Hart of GLOBALG.A.P./Agraya to assess audit steps by our growers.
“This will ease market access for Zimbabwe’s fresh produce, helping our industry grow,” read an X post from HDC.
For Zimbabwean fresh produce to benefit from the United Kingdom (UK) and European union (EU) economic partnership agreements (EPAs), GLOBALG.A.P. certification was mandatory.
The HDC held its fourth investment forum late last year, where it pitched its investment prospectus requiring US$795 million for the country to achieve a US$2,5 billion industry by 2030. Such an investment will cause the area under production to rise from the current 90 000 to 145 000 hectares.
A coordinated ecosystem involving the Government, trade regulators, development partners, farmers and investors is key to achieving sector growth. The HDC has been reviewing its sector growth target from US$1 billion at its first investment forum in 2021, grew this to US$1,3 billion in 2023, then US$2 billion in 2024 and US$2,5 billion in 2025.
GLOBALG.A.P. compliance has become a key requirement for smallholder farmers to access high-value global markets, but it is not a panacea for market access.
A principal consultant and registered trainer in local and GLOBAL.G.A.P Mr Hushe Mzenda said aggregation, finance, technology, extension services, sustainable agriculture and micro-industries all come before compliance.
“GLOBALG.A.P. is a brand of smart farm assurance solutions developed by FoodPLUS GmbH in Cologne, Germany, with cooperation from producers, retailers, and other stakeholders from across the food industry.
“These solutions include a range of standards for safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices,” he said.
Mr Mzenda said GLOBALG.A.P. certification opened valuable new markets to smallholder producers by helping them to satisfy advanced food safety and sustainability specifications of retailers and major buyers worldwide.
“It is now the world’s most widely implemented farm certification scheme. Most European customers for agricultural products now demand evidence of GLOBALG.A.P. certification as a prerequisite for doing business,” he added.
GLOBALG.A.P. has definitive rules for growers to follow and each production unit is assessed by independent third-party auditors. These auditors work for commercial certification companies who are licensed by the GLOBALG.A.P. secretariat to conduct audits and award certificates where merited.
“GLOBALG.A.P. encourages sustainable agriculture and the minimisation of the use of agro-chemicals to benefit farmers, retailers and consumers.
“Its certification covers; food safety and traceability, workers’ health, safety and welfare, includes integrated crop management (ICM) and integrated pest control (IPC), quality management system (QMS), and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP),” he said.
Meanwhile, National Trade Development and Promotion Organisation of Zimbabwe (ZimTrade) disclosed that the country’s horticulture exports rose 74 percent from US$101 million in 2016 to US$176 million in 2024.
Using mirror data from Trade statistics for international business development (TradeMap), Zimtrade said blueberries were now the largest horticulture exporter earner overtaking citrus.
