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Michael Tome and Fradreck Gorwe
ZIMBABWE’S horticultural sector is set to hog the limelight when the country showcases its horticultural produce for the first time at Fruit Logistica in German.

Fruit Logistica is a leading international trade fair for the fruit and vegetable industry. The three-day fair is currently underway in Berlin. The event started yesterday and is expected to end tomorrow.

Fruit Logistica provides a platform for fruit and vegetable producers, buyers, packagers, handling experts and other interested parties from across the globe to exhibit under one roof.

Over 75 000 trade visitors and more than 3 000 companies are expected to participate at the event, offering a unique opportunity for Zimbabwean companies to interact with potential buyers and distributors from across the world. ZimTrade, has since facilitated the participation of 10 Zimbabwean horticultural companies at this year’s edition of Fruit Logistica.

Expectantly, participating companies will have an opportunity to interact with buyers from promising markets such as Japan, China, Dubai and other countries in the Middle East.

Zimbabwe’s involvement will be a great milestone after initial visits to the expo in 2017 and 2018 leading to the decision to participate at the expo to market local produce to potential buyers from Europe.

The Zimbabwean exhibition stand will showcase products which include mange tout, sugar snap peas, pineapples, fine beans, sweet potatoes, avocadoes, macadamia nuts, mangoes, baby corn and chillies.

Commenting on Zimbabwe’s participation, ZimTrade chief executive officer, Allan Mujuru, expressed that the fair has come at an opportune time when the country is seeking ways to boost export growth through market and product diversification. Fruit Logistica shall thus propel an expansion of Zimbabwe’s horticultural exports to overseas according to Mr Mujuru.

“This event is a central meeting point of all people interested in imports and exports of horticultural produce and provides huge opportunities to local companies seeking a broader market base in foreign countries.

“We have facilitated the participation of local companies because we believe this is where they get to meet potential buyers and share as much detail and knowledge about their products,” said Mr Mujuru.

A significant amount of orders worth more than US$10 million have reportedly been recordefrom the initial visits to date, a signal that this first exhibition will unlock potential opportunities for Zimbabwean participants and the local horticultural sector at large.

The local horticultural sector is as important as agriculture forms the bone marrow of the Zimbabwean economy, contributing a significant 17 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounting for about 40 percent of the country’s export proceeds.