Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
ZIMBABWE’S blueberry sub-sector is recording strong growth, driven by rising global demand, favourable climatic conditions and a competitive marketing window.
Mashonaland East Province has consolidated its position as the country’s leading producer of the high-value crop, with farmers increasing both hectarage and yields.
Wiserow Enterprises in Marondera, which began production in 2017, has expanded its blueberry hectarage from 12 to 69 hectares and is set to plant an additional 16 hectares this year. Output has risen from 12 tonnes per hectare to at least 20 tonnes per hectare this season.
“Once planted, one can start production during the first year. The yield per hectare depends on the variety of crops grown. Some varieties have high yields in excess of 20 or 30 tonnes per hectare, while some varieties produce 12 to 14 tonnes per hectare. Currently, we are going to reap 69 hectares, and we are expanding our operations in April by 16 hectares with the potential of further expansion in the near future.
“ We are targeting 20 tonnes per hectare this season. As a country, there is definitely room for expansion due to the growing demand. The market has been growing every year since 2018 by 11 per cent. As Zimbabwe, we have not been growing at that pace, so there is definitely room for expansion,” said Wiserow Enterprises junior manager, Mr Mark Swaneporl.
Government has welcomed the growth and urged financiers to increase support for the horticulture sub-sector, citing strong export potential.
“In terms of blueberry production, Zimbabwe is enjoying the market window that gives us the country both a comparative and competitive advantage. In terms of deliveries, we come in early, whereas most of the producers, like Peru and Morocco, come in late. We also enjoy the favourable climate that produces the best blueberries in terms of quality. In terms of production, Mashonaland East province is the leading producer and we are doing around 550 hectares and we have about 16 farmers who are doing a very good crop.
“In terms of potential for growth, we have seen that our farmers are expanding operations. We are encouraging new farmers to come on board. We also encourage the financiers to come on board as there is a lot of market in Asia and Europe. It is a lucrative sector and there is so much potential. We are happy with the growth in terms of the yield levels from 13 tonnes to 22 tonnes per hectare,” said Mashonaland East Acting Provincial Director for Agricultural Rural Development and Advisory Services, Mr Calisto Masiiwa.
Within the province, Goromonzi leads production, followed by Marondera and Seke districts.
As Zimbabwe diversifies beyond traditional crops, blueberries are emerging as a potential major foreign currency earner.
