Zim, China trade protocols springboard avocado exports
Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE addition of avocado to citrus on horticulture exports to China has been welcomed as a catalyst for achievement of the US$1 billion horticulture industry by 2030, as Government expands its facilitatory role.
President Mnangagwa and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, held their bilateral meeting earlier last week ahead of the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) with increased trade and investment top of the agenda.
After their joint engagements, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 17 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across various sectors that include agriculture.
Among the agreements signed was the Protocol for Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Zimbabwean Fresh Avocado to China as well as MoU on Cooperation on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine.
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) welcomed the protocol, which presents the potential for local growers to expand their reach into one of the world’s largest avocado consumer markets.
The HDC said avocados from Zimbabwe can now be exported to the Chinese market for the first time, thanks to a new agriculture protocol signed between the two countries at the ongoing FOCAC meeting in Beijing.
HDC chief executive, Mrs Linda Nielsen, recently said China was a special market, but there were certain requirements for farmers to get their produce there.
“For citrus, cold sterilisation is key as it relates to the number of days and temperature the fruit must be subjected to kill any potential pests. The same applies to avocado, there are certain fumigation requirements at certain temperatures for a number of days,” she said.
Zimbabwe is projected to produce a record 6 000 metric tonnes of avocados in 2024.
The avocado sector plans to increase hectarage from the current 1 500 to 4 000 hectares by 2030. Reaching this target will require supportive policies that attract investment to ramp up production.
In addition to the signing of this protocol for avocados, HDC is proactively working with Government to pursue similar procedures for blueberries, pecans and macadamia nuts for the Chinese market.
The HDC also wants the Government to go a step further and provide production incentives such as reduction of surrender requirements from 25 percent and ability to repay foreign loans prior to liquidation.
The second edition of the horticulture investment forum held last year set a US$1 billion horticulture export industry by 2030 from the current US$140 million on the basis of 30 percent annual growth.
Statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that avocado export earnings declined 31 percent from US$2 748 326 in 2022 to US$1 905 175 in 2023, due to limited market access.
In volume terms it dropped 28 percent from 7 722 956 to 5 579 046 kilogrammes over the same period.
Expanding market access for Zimbabwean produce will benefit growers and reinforce the importance of horticulture in economic growth.
This development comes on the backdrop of the signing of yet another milestone when the Zimbabwe, China citrus protocol was signed two years ago resulting in the country’s first product debuting that Chinese market last year.
The fresh citrus products to be exported to China from Zimbabwe include sweet, sour and mandarin oranges, grapefruit and lemon.
The opening of the Chinese market has given the country more options to use the short Mozambican port of Beira if cold sterilisation conditions are met and significant volumes are produced.
Current citrus exports to China are going via longer and more costly port of Durban as cold sterilisation standards at the Beira Port are not in conformity to the Zimbabwe-China citrus trade protocol.
Comments