The Sunday Mail
Michael Tome
Business Reporter
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) says it has adopted the out-grower strategy, incorperating small holder players as it seeks to boost export output of the local horticulture sector.
According to HDC, this will help in horticulture sector growth, enhancing the country’s export earnings concurrently.
Horticulture has been classified among low-hanging fruits that can contribute to the country’s economic turnaround.
According to HDC, a number of exporters have made use of the nucleus model, a centralised model of contract farming, where the sponsor also manages a central estate or plantation.
Under the scheme, farmers receive seeds, fertilisers, and agrochemicals in advance while deductions will be made from the final payment.
Farmers under the arrangement receive professional agronomic advice from a mentor hired by the sponsor.
In 2021, Zimbabwe’s horticulture exports closed at US$64,6 million, translating to a 6,8 percent growth compared to the US$59,5 million recorded in 2020.
Key contributors to the export growth were macadamia nuts, which contributed US$13,8 million, citrus at US$10,9 million, vegetables at US$4,2 million while flowers contributed US$3,2 million to the total.
A number of local companies involved in the sector have been using the out-grower model to boost their production output and export. Chief among them is Tanganda Tea Company which has circa 1 677 farmers under the scheme covering a total of about 925 hectares of tea production.
Recently Cairns contracted 712 hectares for maize, potato and tomato production.
Lingflora this year has contracted smallholder farmers covering 60 hectares for mange tout peas production of which 85 percent of participants in the scheme are women.
This has worked immensely in supporting the marginalised segments of the society particularly women and the youth.
Speaking at the Kenya market survey dissemination seminar in Harare recently, HDC chief executive officer Linda Neilsen hinted at the council’s thrust to grow the horticulture sector using additional capacity from smallholder players through contract farming.
She indicated that HDC has a number of subsectors currently under the scheme ranging from, macadamia, avocadoes, blueberries, citrus, and deciduous fruit flowers
“As an inclusive apex body, HDC has a strategy to grow an inclusive horticulture sector, we would want to see growth no matter the scale of one’s operation.
“Our strategy towards growing the smallholder sector is through the nucleus model, it is an ideal model for and inclusivity and developing smallholder farmers, particularly for youth and women, bringing both of those marginalised segments into formal horticulture market, it is nothing new to the horticulture sector, it is something that can be copy-pasted,” said Mrs Neilson.
The HDC has partnered with the government of Zimbabwe in implementing the private sector-led conventional program under the horticultural recovery and growth plan.
Zimbabwe Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan is a blueprint targeted at reconfiguring the horticulture industry driven by the private sector paired with a transformative rural sub-sector and intends to benefit 1,8 million households in the country.
The Horticultural Development Council was formed as a corporate body with the intention of becoming the Apex organisation to represent and promote export horticultural producers in Zimbabwe.
The organisation boasts of institutionalising over 120 years of technical expert knowledge in horticulture and has partnered with national trade promotion body ZimTrade in accessing markets, sharing knowledge of production, and worldwide opportunities.
