Zimbabwe Targets 30,000 Metric Tonnes Of Blueberries By 2030
Zimbabwean horticultural farmers are targeting the production of 30,000 metric tonnes of blueberries by 2030, but are being hindered by a lack of investment capital.
Since the first blueberry exports in 2017, Zimbabwe’s blueberry industry has experienced “incredible” growth, reaching 5,500 tonnes exported last year. This rapid expansion has made the country’s blueberry sector the fastest-growing in the world.
In an interview with Fresh Plaza, Linda Nielsen, CEO of the Horticultural Development Council, said that challenges such as unfavourable foreign exchange policies and high borrowing costs are preventing the sector from reaching its full potential. Said Nielsen:
This year we’re aiming for 8,000 tonnes. However, the expansion is not from new plantings, but from plant maturity because we still don’t have enough capital to expand.
Our long-term goal is to reach 1,500 hectares of blueberry cultivation by 2030, producing 30,000 metric tonnes.
This could bring in as much revenue as our total horticultural exports did back in the 1990s.
But to do this, we estimate that growers would need a major investment of around US$240 million in new investment.
Zimbabwe’s overall horticulture sector has shown significant growth in recent years with exports currently above 113 million metric tonnes, largely attributed to the resilience of traditional exports such as citrus and the emergence of high-demand crops like blueberries.
Nielsen said that Zimbabwe’s horticultural plans can only succeed with adequate water resources, noting that climate change is a reality the country’s farms are addressing through improved water management and storage techniques.
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