Online Reporter
Nelson Gahadza
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) of Zimbabwe says there is a need for coordinated solutions for advancing financial inclusion, reliable power infrastructure and sustainable water management to unlock the agriculture sector’s potential.
Speaking at the Annual National Agribusiness Conference, HDC Board member Mr Willard Zireva said these fit into the nation’s vision of creating a $2,5 billion industry by 2030.
“From our assessment there is potential to expand the horticultural sector from 90 000 hectares to 145 000 hectares while creating 586 650 jobs and transforming rural livelihoods across the country,” he said.
Mr Zireva noted that the horticulture industry’s current annual export value amounts to $120 million and a target annual value of $2,5 billion.
He added that the investment strategy that requires a total investment of $795 million will expand production area by 62 percent, targeting high value crops like blueberries at $112,5 million per year, fresh produce $1,8 billion per year and citrus $84 million.
“Achieving this export growth requires coordinated investment in infrastructure, technology adoption, value chain development and strategic market positioning of Zimbabwe’s horticultural products,” said Mr Zireva.
He noted that should the strategy come to fruition, the country will be able to generate sufficient foreign currency and Zimbabwe has that opportunity.
Mr Zireva also highlighted that horticulture should be classified as a priority sector for growers to access lower ZESA tariffs, indicating that power costs are a big chunk of the budget, especially for cold chains.
HDC recently said the country’s horticulture sector is poised for increased production volumes in 2025, driven by new plantings and orchards coming into maturity, particularly in high-value crops that include citrus and blueberries.
According to ZimTrade, horticulture exports raked in over $120 million in 2023, but stakeholders say the sector could exceed $500 million annually with the right financing and infrastructure.
ZimTrade director of operations, Mr Similo Nkala, in his presentation, said the trade agency is looking to diversify to new markets in order to expand export markets.
“For instance, more than 95 percent of macadamia exports are going to China. So there is a need for us to diversify in that particular product,” he said.
He noted that there is also the issue of rising global demand, which has been evidenced by the increase in terms of the importation of horticultural products from the world over.
