Citrus and avocados from the Zimbabwean regions around Chimanimani and Chipinge are attracting international buyers from Europe and Asia. That is why victims of Cyclone Idai are currently working hard to restore their livelihoods. Late last week, president Mnangagwa toured some of the leading citrus and avocado producers in Chipinge, which has now become an export hub.
Manicaland has already identified citrus farming as one of the low hanging fruits it can leverage on in its quest to contribute towards the country’s Vision 2030. The country is working towards attaining an upper-middle income economy in the next decade, with increased investments and decent broad-based empowerment.
In an interview with The Manica Post, the country’s international trade promotion board, ZimTrade’s communications manager Mr Danai Majaha said around 80 percent of the avocados consumed worldwide are a variety called Hass, which is the main variety grown for exports in Chipinge and Chimanimani.
“In recent years, avocados have become one of the top super-foods and is also one of the top imported fruits around the world. Buyers from Hong-Kong have expressed interest in buying locally produced avocados for distribution in Asia,” said Mr Majaha. “For organic pineapples, we are targeting the European market. As we build our capacity, we will also be targeting the Japanese and other Asian markets. For citrus fruits, which have seen a boom in the recent months, we are targeting the Chinese market. Zimbabwe is in the process of developing a citrus protocol with China.”
“This is expected to ease and improve exports to the Asian country. With a consumption population of over 1,4 billion, the Chinese market alone has the capacity to consume all of Zimbabwe’s produce, and therefore it’s a huge market that we should fully make use of,” said Mr Majaha.
Source: thezimbabwemail.com
