Zimbabwe's blueberry industry is urging the government to implement policy reforms to expand the country's access to the Chinese market. This follows an agreement reached in September that allows Zimbabwe to export the fruit there for the first time. Prior to the agreement, Zimbabwe exported blueberries to Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Peru, the world's largest exporter of blueberries, and Chile are major exporters of the fruit to China, and Zimbabwean farmers hope to join the ranks of the world's top producers.

Fifty percent increase in production

In response to the announcement that an export protocol had been signed with China, the Zimbabwe Horticultural Development Council (HDC) said in a statement that the country's blueberry production was expected to grow from 8.000 tons in 2024 to 12.000 tons in 2025, marking a 50% increase. The council added that the agreement built upon the avocado protocol signed with China in 2024, reinforcing the central role of horticulture in Zimbabwe's economic growth.

"The ambition (of the horticulture industry) under the Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan is to become a $2 billion industry, around 35 billion rand.«.

"Driven by the trend toward healthy lifestyles, China's blueberry imports increased from 665 tons in 2005 to nearly 39,000 tons in 2024, primarily from Peru and Chile. The introduction of Zimbabwean blueberries, known for their unique flavor and texture, provides a new source of supply to that market.“,” the HDC stated.

He added that Zimbabwe could become Africa's largest blueberry exporter, provided producers receive supportive policies that encourage investment. Morocco is Africa's leading blueberry producer, with over 80.000 tons produced last year.

Policies are being sought to incentivize investment

Talking with Farmer's Weekly Clarence MwaleCEO and founder of KumindaKuminda, who represents a group of small and medium-sized farmers and is a member of the HDC board of directors, said that Kuminda is already engaging the government in the political reforms needed to boost exports.

He said the deal with China opened Zimbabwe's blueberry industry to a population of 1.400 billion people, largely an upper-middle-income group, meaning most of them could afford to buy blueberries.

However, he added that while the development was positive for Zimbabwe, the country first needed to increase its blueberry production to meet the demands of the Chinese market. To achieve this, he said, appropriate government and investment policies were essential.

"Blueberry production is capital-intensive, and borrowing is difficult when interest rates are so high. We could utilize foreign direct investment, but our current policies naturally discourage it, complicating matters. We need to change investment policies. We require an investment of over $100 million (1.700 billion rand) to double the current blueberry acreage in Zimbabwe to 1.500 hectares."He explained.

When asked about the necessary policy changes, Mwale said that existing laws made it difficult for investors to move their money out of the country. He added that exporters only received 30% of their profits in local currency after conversion. He said that better policies would help boost exports.

Mwale added that if they could mobilize about 100 young farmers with access to financing to venture into blueberry farming, it would help boost exports to China. “Kuminda has a contract to cultivate 2.000 hectares of Fruit Vision [blueberry] varieties in southern Africa. Currently, our blueberry varieties are developed in the Netherlands and are also cultivated by our partners in Spain.”, Anadio.

China sets export conditions

The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has published guidelines for the import of blueberries from Zimbabwe. Orchards, packing plants, and quarantine facilities must be audited by Zimbabwean authorities and registered in China, including a name, address, and registration code to ensure accurate traceability in case of regulatory non-compliance.

In addition, exporting orchards must implement good agricultural practices under the supervision of a competent Zimbabwean authority, including maintaining sanitary conditions, timely removal of fallen fruit, and implementing integrated pest management to reduce quarantine risks.

Key pests include the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), mango fly (C. cosyra), white wax scale (Destructor de ceroplastos), long-tailed mealybug (Pseudococcus longispinus), and dark mealybug (P. viburni).

During packing, blueberries must be sorted, sized, and cleaned of damaged fruit and debris such as leaves and soil. If storage is necessary, the fruit should be placed in separate facilities to prevent re-infestation by pests. Furthermore, pest monitoring and control records must be kept for at least two years and submitted to Chinese customs upon request.

The GACC warned that shipments from unregistered orchards, packing plants, quarantine facilities, or those with concerning pests or that do not comply with Chinese food safety standards would be returned or destroyed.