Andrew
Trade Focus
Allan Majuru
ZIMBABWE’s horticulture sub-sector offers immense opportunities for the country’s export growth.
To unlock potential, President Mnangagwa’s Government is implementing an array of programmes to boost agricultural production, and, at the same time, exports of horticultural produce.
For example, the Presidential Rural Horticulture Programme, launched by President Mnangagwa in December 2021, is designed to grow production across the horticulture value chain.
The programme acknowledges that horticulture “is an important sub-sector of agriculture, with the potential to considerably contribute to our country’s Gross Domestic Product through exports, given our comparative advantages in the production of fruits, flowers and vegetables”.
As the country gears up to reap full benefits from the horticulture sub-sector, more opportunities will be realised if provinces tap into areas in which they enjoy competitive and comparative advantages.
Identifying opportunities at district level will make it easy to implement targeted programmes to boost production, as well as strengthen linkages with potential buyers from the region and beyond.
The national trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade, has since completed provincial surveys to determine areas of opportunities at district level across the country.
In Mashonaland East, the survey revealed that the horticulture sector offers quick wins across all nine districts in the province. The agriculture sector accounts for the largest part of economic activities in Mashonaland East. This makes it easy to develop a vibrant horticulture export industry in the province.
Other sectors such as processed foods, as well as arts and crafts, were identified as having export opportunities.
Marondera and Goromonzi
The districts have an established agriculture sector, comprising commercial players and communal farmers.
Already, the districts have been producing exports for markets such as Europe, South Africa and Mozambique.
Products with potential include peas, sweet potatoes, butternut, carrots, passion fruit, chillies, garlic, groundnuts, onions and potatoes. With berries becoming an emerging lucrative produce for export markets, there is room to boost production of blueberries and strawberries in the districts, riding on successes recorded by farmers who are currently growing the crops.
There is also a significant proportion of honey production in the two districts and the demand for Zimbabwe-produced honey in regional markets such as Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Botswana and South Africa provides opportunities for local producers.
There are also exporters who have managed to penetrate new markets such as Dubai and these can be crucial in linking new exporters to the United Arab Emirates.
The two districts also have potential for a vibrant flower industry and proximity to Harare — which has a well-developed liaison system between exporters and airlines — makes it easy to land flowers from Marondera and Goromonzi to international markets.
With competition in the flower industry coming from countries such as Kenya, local farmers should concentrate on high-end varieties and those that perform well under Zimbabwe’s climate.
In addition to crop production, the districts are also involved in poultry, with export potential concentrated mainly in broilers and roadrunners, goats, beef and pork. There are businesses in Marondera district currently hatching chicks on a commercial scale and they can be key stakeholders in the development of a poultry export industry in Marondera and Goromonzi districts.
Low-hanging fruits in poultry exports include hatching eggs, parent stock day- old chicks and layer pullets.
Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and Tanzania are some of the potential markets for poultry products from the district.
Furthermore, the two districts have huge export potential for products such as cheese, yoghurt, ice-cream, fresh milk and butter.
Murehwa and Seke districts
Horticulture is dominant at small-scale irrigation schemes and along major rivers in Murehwa and Seke districts.
Horticultural crops with potential include baby marrow, butternut, carrots, cucumbers, fine beans, green beans, onion, peas, chillies, leaf vegetables, ginger, tomatoes and watermelons.
The districts also boast mango fruits, which have export potential.
In terms of value-added horticultural produce, potential lies in drying fruits, tomatoes, oranges and bananas.
With capacity building, interventions in packaging, labelling and handling will improve the value-added products in the districts.
Further to this, most farmers in Murehwa and Seke districts are smallholder and communal, and consolidation will improve market access as producers will have capacity to meet order requirements from buyers.
Chikomba, Mudzi and Hwedza
Just like other districts in Mashonaland East, economic activities in Chikomba, Mudzi and Hwedza are concentrated in agriculture. Horticultural crops with potential include garlic, tomatoes, cabbages, onions, potatoes, butternut, sweet potato, okra, watermelon, gem squash, peas, peppers, chillies and carrots.
Livestock production includes rearing of cattle, sheep, goats and poultry (broiler, Boschveld, black Australorp, free-range chicken, turkey and guinea fowl). Fish farming is also viable. With most farmers in the three districts being smallholder and communal, establishing export clusters around targeted products will make it easy to mobilise producers for regional and international markets.
In Chikomba district, there were farmers who had set up promising citrus fruit, mango and guava plantations for commercial purposes. With financial and technical support, there is room to grow an export-focused fruit industry in the district. Furthermore, in Chikomba district, there are indications of growth in honey production, as the majority of the output is earmarked for export markets.
The honey project is being implemented by ZimTrade as part of its cluster development initiative, designed to increase contributions of all districts to national exports. First harvest of honey from the projected output is expected this month and the second harvest, which will have more output, will be realised in June 2023.
Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP) and Mutoko districts
UMP and Mutoko districts are dominated by communal farmers, with some on irrigation schemes. The two districts make up the bulk of tomato suppliers to Harare. Consolidation, as well as growing export varieties, will make it easy for farmers in Mutoko to access regional and international markets.
Regrettably, during peak season, when the local market is flooded, tomato farmers in Mutoko are in a tight situation due to low prices and post-harvest losses.
Such challenges can be avoided if a canning industry is developed in and around Mutoko, producing export-quality products. This is the same with mango fruits that are abundant in Mutoko and UMP. In Mutoko, there are irrigation schemes that are being assisted by ZimTrade to expand into regional markets. For example, members of the Chitora Irrigation Scheme were assisted by ZimTrade on an exploratory visit to Tete province, Mozambique, where they engaged with potential buyers of their fresh produce. Once they start exporting, farmers at Chitora will be crucial in linking other irrigation schemes in the district to the Mozambican market.
Canning or drying fruits will provide sustainable incomes off-season for rural communities in the two districts.
In Mutoko district, black granite mining also accelerates economic activity.
However, most of the black granite from Mutoko leaves the district raw, meaning more money and jobs depart together with the product.
To ensure more value stays in Mutoko, there is need for deliberate interventions to set up value addition industries in the district, so that value-added products make the bulk of exported black granite.
Allan Majuru is ZimTrade’s chief executive officer
Online Reporter