Zimbabwe has set its sights on the Japanese Avocado market that has the potential to garner US$4 million a year The Standard reports. This can only be possible if Toyko removes its restrictions on the importation of fresh fruits and vegetables from Africa.
In an interview at TICAD in Yokohama Japan, CZI chairperson for the committee on trade development and investment promotion, Henry Nemaire had this to say:
As you know, Japan has prohibited fruit and vegetables from Africa, but we have now sat down with their ministry officials here at TICAD and told them they need to undo the prohibitions so that we can start supplying avocados from Zimbabwe into this market
Our avocados are certified and they are already going to Europe. What the Japanese simply need to do is ride on the certification already there to buy the avocados from Zimbabwe. The price here is very good. The average retail price in Japan is about US$8, which is very good and it’s even higher than in Europe. If let’s say, we are able to sell 1 000 tonnes into Japan, we can earn in the region of US$4 million-plus per annum. So that is what we will be initially aiming for.
More: The Standard