Zimtrade urges farmers to export

HARARE - The export market offers vast opportunities for both large scale and small scale farmers and the later should target produce that has potential to get on the export basket and earn the country foreign currency, ZimTrade has said.

The call by the country’s export development and promotional agency, Zimtrade, was made when officials from the agency visited farmers in Mazowe seeking to venture into the export market for hypericum flowers.

The flowers are being grown at Ansellia Farm in Mazowe by brothers Messrs Rufaro and Rukudzo Gumbo.

Rufaro is also the 2019 Federation of Young Farmers Club Zimbabwe Young Seed Producer of the Year and the duo is already into the export market, where they are exporting peas to United Kingdom and Netherlands.

Speaking after touring the farm, ZimTrade chief executive officer, Allan Majuru, commended the brothers for the work they are doing and said the export development and promotional agency, will help the farmers access the export market for their flowers.

“There is huge potential for Ansellia Farm to export more and we will connect the business to existing and emerging markets,” said Majuru.

“The farm is producing flowers and peas but there are further opportunities in other varieties of flowers as well as horticulture products like macadamia nuts and bananas. What is now important is that we provide Ansellia Farm with reliable and credible information that will help them in diversifying their export crops.

“As history has proven, flower exports used to be Zimbabwe’s biggest forex earners at the height of production and there is potential to surpass the previously set heights.

“There is a huge appetite for flowers around the world and there is a need to open up to new markets in the Middle East and Asia, just as macadamia farmers have successfully done. What is important going forward is that we increase production, grow more varieties and target new markets” Majuru said.

Rufaro Gumbo said the two are producing for both the local and international market and highlighted that proceeds from the later go a long way in sustaining the business.