Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe begins exporting blueberries to China.

Storyline Zimbabwe begins exporting blueberries to China Zimbabwe's first shipment of blueberries to China is expected to open a new chapter for the industry with earnings projected to surge, positioning the southern African nation as a leading global producer. The anticipated growth in demand has authorities working to scale up production. Tatenda Marume, Export Development Manager, ZimTrade "I think one key enabler is access to finance for the producers so that we can increase. Right now we are just above 650 hectares of blueberries, and I believe by the end we could be around 850." The increased cultivation should see production rise from about 9,500 metric tonnes to around 12,000 tonnes. Farai Mwakutuya, Reporter: "Beyond expanding orchards, Zimbabwe is also planning to invest in irrigation and cold-chain infrastructure, and to bring small-scale farmers into commercial value chains." Industry players say aggregating production from smallholder growers would not only increase export volumes but also spread the benefits of the blueberry boom to rural communities. Clarence Mwale, CEO, Kuminda: "60 percent of the land in the country is owned by small scale farmers, A1 and A2 farmers.It's a significant amount of land that we cannot ignore." The removal of tariffs for access into the vast Chinese market is expected to enhance the benefits of the blueberry export protocol. Tatenda Marume, Export Development Manager, ZimTrade: "It means our products will also be competitive in the Chinese market. It also reduces pressure on pricing for the farmers, which means that they get better returns for their products." This will ultimately help Zimbabwe's horticulture sector in its pursuit of one billion dollars revenues by 2030. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]