daniel chigunwe
Exporters eye Chinese market
Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
MACADAMIA nuts exports have surged by a whopping 53 percent from five million kilogrammes in 2023 to eight million in 2024, with exporters now eyeing the lucrative Chinese markets to increase earnings.
Currently the country does not have trade protocol to export macadamia nuts to China.
Statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that macadamia export shipments rose from 5 244 665 kilogrammes in 2023 to 8 026 853 last year.
In value terms the exports grew only 29 percent from US$6 788 159 to US$8 748 377 due to a slump in average price from US$1, 29 to US$1, 09 per kilogramme.
Macadamia export prices have been on a continual decline from a high of
US$2,91 in 2020 to US$1,09 last year, marking a 63 percent drop.
Macadamia Producers Association of Zimbabwe (MPAZ) secretary general, Mr Fortune Gurai said they want the Government to establish a trade protocol with China for them to benefit from the increase in production.
“We want the Government to help farmers by engaging China to allow our product to access the largest export market.
“If our macadamia is zero-rated, just like other countries such as Mozambique, the demand for our fruit and price will firm,” he said.
Mr Gurai said China had an insatiable demand for macadamia as their own local production fell short of requirements.
“Prices above US$2,20 per kilogramme macadamia nut in shell at 10 percent moisture content are viable.
“Intervention of the Government setting minimum prices for macadamia to protect the farmer are not an option as prices should be determined by market forces,” he disclosed.
It has been reported that most farmers don’t have drying facilities and are forced to dispose of their nuts in shell even at low prices to local middlemen to salvage something.
“Since macadamia is perishable when it’s not cured (dried) it is advisable for farmers to build on farm curing facilities so that they can store their product and they can sell when prices are viable,” Mr Gurai advised.
In 2023 the country recorded the lowest macadamia nut prices of US$0, 60 per kilogramme. As a result of the very low price most farmers were unable to buy the required inputs for production thereby, negatively affecting of the quality of the fruit.
Many farmers also ended up buying generic inputs which were cheap but not suitable for a plantation crop like macadamia.
Macadamia trees require fertilisers such as compound J, calcium and phosphorus. It also requires different chemicals at flowering, fruiting and oil accumulation stages.
Meanwhile, last year Zimbabwe signed the Protocol for Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Zimbabwean Fresh Avocado to China.
President Mnangagwa and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, last year held their bilateral meeting ahead of the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation with increased trade and investment top of the agenda.
After their joint engagements, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 17 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding across various sectors that include agriculture.
The development comes on the backdrop of the signing of yet another milestone when the Zimbabwe/China citrus protocol was signed three years ago, resulting in the country’s first product entering that Chinese market in 2023.
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) said it was proactively working with Government to pursue similar trade protocol procedures for blueberries, pecans and macadamia nuts for the Chinese market.
“Expanding market access for Zimbabwean produce will benefit growers and reinforce the importance of horticulture in economic growth,” said the HDC.
Online Reporter