Zimbabwe's horticulture industry is on track to surpass its peak annual earnings of US$140 million recorded in 1999, following an expansion in cultivated land during the 2023–2024 summer cropping season.
According to the initial Crop and Livestock Assessment by Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Anxious Masuka, there has been a notable increase in the area planted with various horticultural crops. Specifically, "The area under blueberry increased by 1% from 643 ha in the 2022/2023 season to 650 ha in the 2023/2024 season. Pecan nut recorded a 20% increase in area planted from 762 ha in the 2022/2023 season to 913 ha in the current season," Masuka stated.
Conversely, the tea plantation area saw a 14% decline. Despite previous setbacks from land reform initiatives, which led to a decline in citrus plantation areas, the sector is witnessing a revival. Challenges such as inconsistent policies, high borrowing costs, and logistics issues persist, yet investments in blueberries and macadamia nuts, alongside traditional crops, are fueling recovery. With an aim to restore up to 10,000 hectares of lost citrus plantations by 2030, the Zimbabwean Horticultural Development Council sets a target of $1 billion in horticultural exports, supported by investment and technical assistance from the European Union.
Source: pindula.co.zw