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Manicaland Correspondent
Coffee production in Manicaland is expected to decline as the province is already experiencing early signs of winter.

Agritex horticulture and tobacco specialist Mr Douglas Nzarayebani said an assessment conducted recently had shown that the coffee trees have already started shedding their leaves, a process which usually occurs in May when the winter season starts.

He said the Agritex teams had assessed various crops that include tea, banana, macadamia, and concluded that coffee was the most affected by the change in weather patterns.

“Of all the sectors assessed, coffee is already showing signs of low production levels as the winter season approaches,” he said.

Coffee production in the province has been declining over the years due to minimal support as attention has shifted to macadamia nut production.

Last year, Swiss-based global coffee processing company, Nespresso, expressed interest in providing long-term investment to revive the country’s coffee industry and stimulate the rural economy.

At its peak, Zimbabwe used to be the second largest coffee producer after Brazil, but output gradually fell as farmers shunned coffee production due to the low prices offered by side marketers.