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Edgar Vhera-Agriculture Specialist Writer
IT is important for smallholder horticulture exporters to take advantage of the growing market trend of socially responsible sourcing and ride on the United Kingdom’s Eastern and Southern Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to penetrate markets.
This came out during a hybrid webinar organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in collaboration with the British Embassy in Harare recently.
The webinar ran under the theme: “Zimbabwe-UK Trade Opportunities: Bridging the gap held.”
Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Zimbabwe was £609 million in the four quarters to the end of first quarter 2024, an increase of 38 percent or £167 million in current prices as compared to same period in 2023.
TechnoServe country manager, Mr William Zirebwa said the changed land use pattern in horticulture production from large to small-scale augured well with the global thrust of smallholder and socially responsible sourcing.
“The best starting point to get into the export journey to the UK or EU is by beginning as an out-grower to an established exporter as opposed to direct exports.
“The current trend is that of smallholder and socially responsible sourcing with more orders coming from agencies who are keen in integrating smallholder farmers in sustainable production,” he said.
Prior to the introduction of global good agronomic practices (Global GAP), fresh produce exports involved inspections and relationships between leading UK supermarket buyers and exporters on supply agreements.
Mr Zirebwa said exporters now needed to meet legal requirements to export to the UK or EU as well as standards like Global GAP and Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA).
Smallholder farmers must start by founding a relationship with supermarkets and agencies.
“Hortico Produce was the first fresh produce exporter from Zimbabwe to UK and its out grower was Mitchelle and Mitchelle. Mitchelle and Mitchelle grew and started exporting on its own and had Kondozi as its out grower although the latter became an exporter later,” he said.
The UK agencies are the ones who supply retail outlets and prospective exporters build a relationship with these. They require consistence, sincerity and the ability to honour the orders.
“Customers require specifications such as quality, labelling and product presentation while a price may be attractive but the cost incurred to make it may be too high to make business sense.
“Zimbabwe products are now being pre-packed in their raw form, unlike in the past when we used to supply ready to eat or high care products,” Mr Zirebwa commented.
UK supermarkets have standards like the field to fork, linking the environment and farming to allow the mainstreaming of smallholder farmers for social responsibility support.
A Shurugwi –based company, Takura, which was formed by TechnoServe and Anglo American’s Unki Mine is exporting into the EU exclusively from smallholder farmers.
Mr Zirebwa said: “Takura has exported 50 tonnes of fresh produce to date, 60 percent into the UK supermarkets.”
He said Takura was an out grower for Lingfield (90 percent) and Tuminda (10 percent) and targeted to directly impact 3 000 farmers in three years’ time.
Smallholder farmers are organised in communal area irrigation schemes and 11 such groups are GAP certified to date.
Online Reporter