The Sunday Mail
Martin Kadzere
The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority is diversifying into fruit and nut production, chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza has said.
Until recently, ARDA’s main plantation crop was sugarcane, but the Government-owned enterprise is now diversifying into macadamia, avocado, pecan nut and fruit trees production.
“As part of our strategy, we are stepping up production of plantation crops. We have been heavily involved in short term crops but our thrust now is to open land for plantations. These are export oriented projects and we have since identified partners for some of the projects that we are already implementing,” said Mr Nyabadza.
In Chipinge, ARDA, in partnership with a private investor, has rehabilitated 2 500 hectares of macadamia plants. The first harvest was last year with doubled output expected this year.
“We are rehabilitating the existing plants before opening the land for new ones,” Mr Nyabadza said, adding that the authority is also working with small scale farmers to revive some of the macadamia plantations in Chipinge.
In Matabeleland North Province, ARDA has planted about 10 000 ha of pecan nut and has also established nurseries with 30 000 plants that will be sold to the public.
“We want people to dedicate part of their land to plantations,” said Mr Nyabadza.
Pecan nuts are a product of the hickory tree, also known as Carya illinoinensis. The trees are native to central and Southern North America, according to SeedGuide.Info.
The plants were not domesticated until the 17th century, when the first plantations were established in Mexico. Raw pecans can be salted or sweetened to make snacks.
They can be sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and ice creams. They are also widely used in confectionery. Pecan nut butter is a popular spread for breads and toast.
They can also be processed to make pecan edible pressed oil. The production of pecan tress plantations require long-term commitment as it takes about seven to eight years before harvesting.
Avocado, macadamia global boom
There is a growing global demand for avocados.
However, there has been low production across the whole world due to the extreme temperatures recorded in 2016.
More than 182 million kg of avocados were harvested in 2016 but the number dropped to just 907 000 kg last year, according to reports.
Local companies such as Tanganda, now the country’s largest producer of avocados, recently started exports. Northern Farming, in partnership with ARDA, is also looking at investing $30 million in avocado and macadamia plantations in Eastern Highlands.
Between 2012 and 2016, Zimbabwe’s avocado exports rose 302 percent from $1 million to $4,2 million, largely driven by increased large-scale avocado production in Manicaland, according to figures from ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s export promotion body.
The major destination markets were The Netherlands, United Kingdom, France and Germany.
On the other hand, the global macadamia market is expected to reach $4,5 billion by 2024, from $3 billion in 2017, according to recent world macadamia research.
The global macadamia market is anticipated to witness substantial growth within the forecast period, mainly driven by increasing demand for macadamia in the cosmetic industry.
Owing to its high nutrient content, macadamia is also widely used in the production of desserts, cookies, chocolates, cakes, and other confectionery products.
According to Macadamia Association of Zimbabwe, small scale producers are looking at raising annual production to 15 000 tonnes in the next three years from the current 8 000. Most of Zimbabwe’s macadamia exports are to China and South Africa.
