ZIMBABWE is failing to meet growing demand for its organic superfoods from new markets as most producers are already under contract to supply Europe, the country’s trade promotion body ZimTrade has said.
This comes on the back of rising exports of avocados, citrus and blueberries to the European Union driven by surging consumer demand for the fruits, which are termed superfoods because of their high nutritional value.
“We have received inquiries from Russia, China, Iran, Bahrain. Buyers have been looking for oranges and lemons but most of our farmers that are exporting these products already have contracts in Europe to supply certain markets,” ZimTrade operations director Similo Nkala, told an online meeting on agriculture markets last week.
“So that’s an area where if you are looking to invest in horticulture… the market is there and we are currently not able to supply the demand”.
Netherlands currently takes up 34 percent of Zimbabwe’s horticulture exports, the United Kingdom 13 percent, South Africa 10 percent, China nine percent, France six percent and Germany five percent.
“In 2017, together with the ministry of agriculture, ZimTrade went on a visit to China to assess the market and from that visit we had potential business…. where buyers were willing to take up 35 000 tonnes of oranges from Zimbabwe if we are able to supply,” Nkala said.
Citrus exports are currently worth US$34.8 million compared to global demand worth US$16.8 billion. Another product with huge potential is macadamia nuts with current exports at US$20.6 million and a world market worth US$236 million.
The global organic food and beverages market was estimated at US$220 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach US$620 billion by 2026.
“Zimbabwe soils can support production of all these superfoods such as avocados, blueberries, macadamia and others,” Nkala said. “…We have the potential to grow and export organic produce due to its organic soil and favourable climatic conditions”.
The country’s horticulture sector experienced rapid growth in the mid-1980s to the 90s peaking in the 1998/99 season at US$143 million. Exports included 18 400 metric tonnes of flowers, 14 200 metric tonnes of vegetables and 45 000 metric tonnes of fruits. After falling in the early 2000s it has been recovering in recent years, recording US$54 million in 2011 and rising to just over US$112 million in 2018.
Between May 2020 and June this year the sector saw exports fall to US$121 million from US$130 million recorded between May 2019 and June 2020 due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
“The increase has been backed by new exports such as the blueberries, avocados, shelled macadamia nuts, seed potatoes, kale and seeds of cowpeas,” Nkala said.
The government recently announced a Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan targeting growth of the sector to around US$300 million by 2030.
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