Horticulture indaba to focus on export growth
THE Horticultural Development Council
(HDC), which represents producers of horticultural crops in the country, will host the Zimbabwe Horticulture Investment Forum on November 16 in Harare. THE SUNDAY MAIL (SM) recently spoke to Ms LINDA NIELSEN (LN), the chief executive officer of HDC, on the state of the industry and what to expect from the upcoming event.
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SM: Why is the HDC hosting the investment forum? LN: Zimbabwe has massive potential to grow the horticulture sector. The forum is meant to bring various stakeholders together to discuss what we need to do to fulfil this potential.
The Government launched the Horticulture Development Programme for 2021-2025 to guide growth in the sector. To make sure targets of this programme are achieved, we need to discuss what needs to be done to remove the hurdles that stand in the way of growth.
Here, we are talking about strategies to attract investment, ensure tenure security, a favourable exchange rate policy and infrastructure, among other things.
SM: Who will attend the event? LN: We are expecting up to 300 influential people to attend. We are delighted that Finance and Agriculture ministers have confirmed their attendance. We have horticultural producers from various sectors of the industry.
We have potential investors looking for opportunities in Zimbabwe. We have development partners and financial institutions, as well as entrepreneurs who operate in agriculture and across agribusiness sectors. We also have peers from other markets — including Kenya,
SM: What are some of the highlights to expect?
LN: The investment forum will highlight opportunities in horticultural production in Zimbabwe. Opportunities abound in the sector across the value chain, including installation of infrastructure, production, cold chain systems, upscaling of climate-smart practices and agribusiness ventures in areas such as agro-processing and technology.
A lot of our growers are keen to access markets. On the agenda will be discussions on the available cost-effective solutions for Zimbabwean produce to reach global markets.
At the meeting, investors will have exposure to the HDC hub and spoke model. Adapted by the HDC especially for the Zimbabwean environment, this innovative model provides investors with an opportunity to participate in expanding Zimbabwe’s horticultural production base, while promoting inclusion by broadening the pool of growers.
There will be direct contact between potential investors and growers, and an opportunity for the industry to dialogue with decision makers on the policies needed to meet our potential as an industry.
SM: What do you expect the forum to achieve?
LN: We expect the HDC Investment Forum to set us on a path for growth. After the forum, the HDC will draft the 2024 Horticulture Business and Policy Strategy to achieve export growth and increased volumes.
We expect the dialogue between industry and policymakers to result in concrete steps in resolving some of the policy hurdles that work against the national goals for the industry.