The Sunday Mail
Trade Focus
Allan Majuru
THE number of smallholder farmers with potential to export has been growing exponentially over the past few years.
Currently, the interest generated by smallholder farmers, regardless of land size, is an indication that they have potential to contribute more to national exports.
What is now crucial is identifying crops that are relatively high-value and can be produced by smallholder farmers on a commercial scale.
Garlic is one of those crops.
Already, garlic is easy to grow, can be produced in most parts of the country and is less complicated compared to other high-value crops.
What is important going forward is for farmers to group themselves, so they combine capacities when approaching buyers.
Capacity development will also need to be considered, as the horticulture sector is one of the priority areas identified by the National Export Strategy, launched by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa last year.
There are current efforts to improve investments into the agriculture sector through the US$8, 2 billion agriculture and food systems transformation strategy, which is expected to ensure maximum productivity and mechanisation.
The capacitation of farmers will go a long way in contributing towards achieving the nation’s vision 2030.
Given the growing demand around the world for healthy foods because of the need to combat pandemic and chronic diseases, the time is ripe for increasing exports of garlic.
For local farmers, penetrating regional markets will be easy considering that Zimbabwean climatic conditions are favourable for agricultural produce that is considered to have more quality compared to competitors.
Apart from exporting garlic as raw bulbs, there are opportunities to value-add and produce products such as garlic powder or mix with salt to produce garlic salt or garlic oil which some of our SMEs are exporting to Botswana.
Pickled garlic, garlic sauce, garlic vinegar, and garlic insecticides are other value-added products that local farmers can consider.
A look at the markets
There has been significant growth of the world import bill of garlic over the past 20 years, from around US$500 million in 2001 to US$2,48 billion in 2019, according to Trade Map.
Top importers of garlic last year were Indonesia (US$530 million), Brazil (US$225 million), United States of America (US$200 million), Malaysia (US$119 million), Russian Federation (US$76 million), Bangladesh (US$75 million), and Germany (US$70 million).
Other top importers last year were also the United Kingdom (US$61 million), Pakistan (58 million), Italy (US$55 million), France (US$55 million), United Arab Emirates (US$52 million), Saudi Arabia (US$52 million) and the Netherlands (US$51 million).
Total global imports of garlic grew by US$367 million in 2019, from US$2,1 billion recorded the previous year.
In 2019, total quantities imported around the world stood at 2 million tonnes.
For Zimbabwe, figures available on Trade Map indicated that exports of garlic have been insignificant over the past few years, albeit potential to supply and dominate in regional and international markets.
From the top importers, local farmers have a shot at markets that are already taking Zimbabwean produce, which could provide a springboard for exporting garlic.
These markets include Indonesia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates.
For African countries, top importers of garlic last year were Morocco (US$12,1 million), Senegal (US$8,4 million), South Africa (US$6 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (US$5,6 million), and Sudan (US$5,2 million).
South Africa, which is Zimbabwe’s neighbour, is currently importing the bulk of its garlic from as far as Spain, Vietnam, Italy, Egypt, and China.
Considering the distance between South Africa and Zimbabwe, local farmers can take over the market it they meet market requirements.
For Democratic Republic of Congo, almost all its garlic imports are coming from China.
Other 2019 top importers from Africa, where local farmers have potential to export, are Mauritius (US$2,7 million), Mozambique (US$2,5 million), Angola (US$1,5 million), Botswana (US$629 thousand), Namibia (US$608 thousand).
The values in Namibia and Botswana might appear small but could be a starting point for local farmers, riding on proximity to the countries as well as leveraging on existing bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements to export duty and/or quota free.
With regards to competitiveness, particularly on production, Zimbabwean farmers have potential to produce for export markets considering the country enjoys good weather conditions compared to some of the top African exporters.
Last year, top exporters from the continent were Egypt, South Africa, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Understanding garlic production
The abilities of garlic to fight infections as an antibiotic are well documented and is used to fight an array of infections like bacteria or fungi.
These properties make garlic a highly sought-after produce around the world, particularly by those who are looking at increasing consumption of healthy foods.
Garlic varieties mainly grown in southern Africa are hard neck varieties (allium sativum) and soft neck varieties (sativum var sativum) and they take between 4-9 months to fully mature.
Although the time-frame appears to be longer compared to other produce such as peas, maize and wheat, the production, harvesting and handling processes of garlic are not complicated.
Further to this, the longer shelf life of most varieties of garlic means farmers can hold onto the product if market prices are not favourable.
Hard neck varieties are more winter-hardy and produce larger cloves but have a shorter storage life than soft-neck varieties.
For local producers, alternating between the two varieties would mean full utilisation of land through-out the year, which in turn will positively impact on earnings.
Regarding production, the Horticulture Trainers Manual produced by SNV states that garlic, whose best transplanting period is August-April (Highveld) and January-May (Lowveld), is frost hardy and requires well drained soils.
The seed rate is 315–500 cloves per hectare, with yields of 8-10 tonnes/hectare.
With international prices averaging US$4,21 per kilogram from August, according to International Trade Centre’s Market Price Information portal, potential yield per hectare from garlic production could contribute more to earnings for local farmers.
Garlic also responds well to organic manure, bringing an economic viability for smallholder farmers who are into animal husbandry as well.
However, for non-organic fertilisers, basal dressing of Compound C at 350-500 kg/hectare, top dress with 200-300 kg/hectare ammonium nitrate per month after planting is recommended by the Horticulture Trainers Manual.
Export requirements
Local farmers looking to export to international market should comply with food quality and safety standards such as Global GAP, Fair Trade and Verified Carbon Standards.
These standards ensure that garlic production does not negatively impact on the health of humans and animals as well as minimise potential effects to the environment.
Those targeting European market must ensure their products comply with the European Union legislation on control of contaminants in foodstuffs; control of pesticide residues in plant and animal products intended for human consumption; health control of foodstuffs of non-animal origin and plant health control.
Other mandatory requirements in Europe are traceability, compliance and responsibility in food and feed and labelling for foodstuffs.
For those targeting regional markets, the requirement is that each shipment must be accompanied by a complete set of documentation respective of consignment size, including CD1 Form, Agro-dealer or Agro-producer Certificate, Phytosanitary Certificate, Airway bill and packing list.
The Agro-dealer or agro-producer certificates are obtained from the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) while Phytosanitary Certificate is obtained from Mazoe Plant Protection Offices.
Export Permit, which is required by Plant Health Inspectors and ZIMRA at export points are issued by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement.
Further to this, the requirements for packaging state that material used should protect the taste, flavour, colour and other characteristics of the product, protect the product form bacteriological and other contamination and not pass out any odour, taste, colour and other foreign characteristics to the product.
On labelling in most countries, allergens must be highlighted in the list of ingredients, especially for value-added garlic products.
Exporters must also take note of the language preferred by the importing country, such as Portuguese for Mozambique and Angola and French for DRC.
Allan Majuru is the Chief Executive Officer of ZimTrade
