Zimbabwean growers are set to benefit from an initiative to build €5 million (US$5,45 mln) worth of cold storage facilities. The Horticulture Development Council (HDC) praised the initiative by pan-African firms InspiraFarms Cooling and InfraCo Africa. It will be focusing to benefit Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and Ghana, given its potential positive impact on export revenue.
The new cold-storage packhouses will be owned by InspiraFarms Cooling, with clients paying for the cooling services. The initiative would address challenges encountered by horticulture farmers during the marketing of their produce, including inadequate storage facilities that cause significant post-harvest losses.
Of course, reducing post-harvest losses in Zimbabwe’s horticulture sector is crucial for improving farmers’ livelihoods through better food security, and the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Across Africa, 30-50 percent of produced food never reaches the table but is lost after harvest, positioning food systems as the second largest Greenhouse gas (GHG) contributor.
Source: technomag.co.zw