The Sunday Mail
Word from the Market
Cliff Chiduku
When thinking of venturing into agriculture, many people usually think of field crops and livestock farming. While these ventures are lucrative, other fields of agriculture, among them fruit farming, can be equally rewarding.
The Eastern Highlands, especially Chipinge, are the heart of avocado farming in Zimbabwe.
Some of the prominent avocado varieties include hass, esther, fortuna, ryan and gwen, just to mention a few.
On average, it takes three to four years from planting a young tree for it to start bearing fruit. Starting from seeds, it takes between five to 10 years for fruit production to begin.
To shorten the turnaround period, the best approach would be to start with grafted young trees as opposed to starting with seeds. Whichever way one considers, avocado farming is a long-term project – no quick returns. The most important resource to start avocado farming is fertile land.
Seeds can be bought or one can recycle harvested avocados. Either way, farmers are advised to ensure that there is a reliable source of seeds or trees that have superior and desirable attributes.
Typically, seeds can take about half a year to be ready for transplantation.
They can be sown directly or polythene bags can be used. Depending on the prevailing weather conditions and scale of production, drip irrigation is a necessity.
Human capital depends on the scale of production. Be that as it may, avocado farming is labour intensive. From land preparation, maintenance, pruning, weeding and harvesting, all these processes require exertion. Capital requirements also vary depending on the scale and nature of production, but it is a fact that if one wants to venture into commercial farming, then a substantial amount is required.
Understandably, avocado farming is capital intensive, but the good part is that the costs can be spread over an extended period of time.
Market
The market is vast, from local to global, so there are infinite potential clients.
Local supermarkets and mass markets such as Mbare Musika are potential markets.
Zimbabwe is a big producer of hass avocados. The main reason why hass avocado farming is taking shape is so that the variety has a ready market abroad.
Tanganda Tea Company is one of local firms that are reaping tangible benefits from diversifying into avocado production.
In its financials for the period ending September last year, Tanganda Tea said avocado exports grew by 7 percent to 4 268 tonnes.
Prices were 38 percent lower due to oversupply in Europe and low demand caused by Covid-19. The company added 49 more hectares of avocado plantation during the year, bringing the total hectares under avocado to 497ha. The Zimbabwe Avocado Growers Association said the 2022 avocado export season exceeded production estimates, adding that 5 180 tonnes of first-grade fruit was exported and 3 000 tonnes of second-grade fruit was exported for oil processing.
The association added that Zimbabwe is expecting an increase in avocado production in the near future. With 400 hectares of newly established plantations coming into production and a conservative yield of 12 tonnes/ha, an additional 4 800 tonnes can be expected, bringing a total of nearly 10 000 tonnes of the fruit exported by 2025,” the association said.
Top avocado-producing countries in African are Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Agronomic practices
Avocados thrive in areas with humid weather no wonder they are mostly grown in eastern parts of Zimbabwe. One of the advantages of avocado farming is that farmers can employ intercropping with vegetables for maximum land use.
To realise maximum yield, it is usually recommended that one-hectare land must accommodate about 400 trees and the farmer is guaranteed 500 fruits from each tree. The recommended spacing of avocados is 5m by 5m from one tree to another and from one row of trees to another.
With this spacing, 4 000 trees can be planted in one hectare.
This means that 200 000 fruits can be realised from one hectare. Farmers are advised to transplant seedlings around October or on the onset of the rainy season so that the seedlings can establish themselves well.
However, this can be a different story if there is a reliable irrigation infrastructure.
Avocado trees grow quickly, so thinning and pruning are crucial to realise better yields. The first harvest usually comes in the third year, but trees mature after five to six years. The expected yield is between 10 and 20 tonnes per hectare.
◆ Word from the Market is a column produced by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) to promote market-driven production. Feedback [email protected] or WhatsApp/Call +263781706212.
