Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare at ZITF, BULAWAYO
ZIMBABWE has intensified efforts to position its agricultural produce for the lucrative European union market through a new competitiveness drive anchored on improved standards, stronger value chains and modernised information systems.
The initiative is being advanced under the second phase of the Strengthening Transboundary Animal Disease and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Systems for Regional Trade project (STOSAR II), which is running from 2025 to 2028 with support from the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Government and the SADC Secretariat.
Speaking during a STOSAR II side event at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) today (Tuesday), Chief Director for Agriculture Education, Research, Innovation and Specialist Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Dr Dumisani Kutywayo, said Zimbabwe was moving beyond participation in trade to full competitiveness.
“The 2026 ZITF theme challenges us to look beyond our borders and beyond our traditional ways of working.
“It demands that we ask ourselves a difficult but essential question: Is Zimbabwean agriculture merely participating in regional trade, or is it truly competing? Through STOSAR II, we have both the roadmap and the resolve to choose the latter,” said Dr Kutywayo.
He said the programme would strengthen agricultural information management systems, plant health, animal health, food security and agribusiness value chains.
Dr Kutywayo said Zimbabwe’s horticulture sector, including avocados, citrus, blueberries and macadamia nuts, had strong potential to penetrate premium international markets if supported by world-class certification systems.
“Zimbabwe cannot export what we cannot certify,” he said.
“When our plant health systems are robust, our export consignments are not rejected at borders. That is competitiveness.”
Dr Kutywayo said STOSAR II was not a pilot project but a delivery vehicle for Zimbabwe’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“We will not rest until we see Zimbabwean produce competing fairly and successfully in every market from Lusaka to London,” he said.
European union Programme manager to Zimbabwe said the bloc remained committed to mutually beneficial trade partnerships with Zimbabwe and the wider SADC region.
“We have a strong EU-Zimbabwe and EU-SADC trade partnership anchored in the Economic Partnership Agreement,” he said.
“The agreement offers quota-free, duty-free access to EU markets, which means partners from the region can access 500 million consumers in Europe without duties.”
The EU remains one of the world’s largest premium food markets, with growing demand for traceable, climate-smart and high-quality agricultural produce.
Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) chief executive officer Alice Mapfidza said Zimbabwe needed stronger farmer clustering models to meet export volumes, consistency and quality demanded by large international buyers.
“Markets require scale, uniform quality and reliability. Through clustering farmers into organised production groups, we can aggregate volumes, improve standards and ensure smallholders also benefit from export opportunities,” she said.
Livestock expert Dr Lawrence Dinginya said controlling animal diseases remained critical if Zimbabwe was to reclaim lost export markets.
“New variants of Foot-and-Mouth Disease remain a regional challenge and require coordinated surveillance, rapid response systems and stronger vaccination programmes,” he said.
“Healthy livestock systems are essential for competitive beef exports.”
The programme is also expected to improve digital data systems, early warning mechanisms and post-harvest market linkages, while creating more opportunities for women, youth and smallholder farmers to participate in high-value agricultural trade.
