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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE country will on November 16 hold the second edition of the horticulture investment forum in Harare where Government, farmers and investors gather to share ideas on how to achieve a US$1 billion horticulture export industry by 2030.
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) revealed this in a press statement yesterday.
The HDC, which represents the country’s horticulture growers, will host the forum at the Agricultural Research Trust (ART) Farm under the theme, ‘Opportunities in the field, in policy and all the way to the bank,’ the statement indicated.
This is the second edition of the forum after the successful inaugural launch in 2021. It comes at a time when the Government has launched the Horticultural Recovery and Growth Plan, which is part of a broader strategy to transform agriculture into a US$13, 75 billion sector by 2025 after having achieved the earlier set target of US$8, 2 billion by end of 2022.
“At the horticulture investment forum, farmers and investors will have the opportunity to interact with policymakers. Among the confirmed speakers are the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka and Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“This is the second such forum, after debuting in 2021 and generating strong interest across the industry. Hundreds of leading growers from Zimbabwe will be joined by industry experts from Kenya, South Africa and Europe to discuss opportunities for the sector and how to tackle emerging challenges,” the statement added.
The investment forum will also discuss trends in horticulture sub-sectors like blueberries, citrus and coffee, while providing a platform for interaction with potential investors.
HDC Chief Executive Officer Mrs Linda Nielsen said the 2023 edition of the horticulture investment forum was coming at a critical time for the industry as new vast opportunities had opened up for the Zimbabwean horticulture sector and equally urgent solutions were needed to clear policy hurdles preventing the industry from taking full advantage of the opportunities to grow the sector.
“This is a major event on Zimbabwe’s agriculture calendar. The investment forum brings together our growers, experts from various fields of horticulture, investors and policymakers. The horticulture sector is central to our country’s economic growth. For our industry to fully develop to its potential, significant investment is required. We will discuss solutions to some of the most pressing constraints, such as access to financing, the policy environment, climate change and energy,” the HDC boss said.
At the inaugural investment launch in 2021, stakeholders observed that achievement of a US$1 billion horticulture export industry by 2030 required a 30 percent annual export growth.
Statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that the horticulture sector earned US$72 million in 2020 and rose slightly in 2021 to US$73 million, a percentage increase that was less than the anticipated 30 percent. In 2022 horticulture export earnings increased to US$82 million, a 12 percent increase. This investment forum will proffer suggestions on what needs to be done to achieve the anticipated US$1 billion 2030 target.
Online Reporter