MANICALAND is finding its feet to become a horticultural hub in the country due to increased production of horticulture produce, and resuscitation of the cut flower subsector that has been moribund for decades.
The province is leveraging on its perfect weather conditions and good soils to ameliorate horticultural revival, and one of the leading farmers is Mr Rob Lindsay, of Claire Farm in Nyanga, who together with his partners are exporting eryngium supernova and orion quester to the Netherlands, Australia and Japan.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri toured the horticultural facility last week, and commended, both large and small-scale producers in the province for their innovative farming practices that has led to a 14 percent growth of the sector.
“The horticulture industry is growing, and last year it grew by 14 percent. However, the flower subsector is still limping, but we are happy that there are farmers who are taking up the space. Here in Nyanga, certainly the climatic condition is very conducive for certain cut flowers. We have farmers who are now exporting three times a week, which is unprecedented.
“They are mainly exporting to Japan, Netherlands, Australia and other countries. This is what we expect as Government. We are witnessing exciting strides in reviving the horticulture sector. Zimbabwe used to be the biggest supplier of cut flower into the Netherlands, and we want to regain that position. We are excited that something is happening on the ground, and we want to keep growing our cut flower subsector.
“The out-grower scheme, buttressed by the export market they have, is key in operating at the core centre of production. Smaller growers may not have the capacity to export own their own, so the out-grower model works,” he said.
Professor Jiri said the ministry is working hand-in-glove with the Horticulture Development Council and ZimTrade to ensure that the hub-and-spoke model is buttressed.
A hub-and-spoke model is an out grower scheme for cut flowers – a model which is working well in Nyanga.
Professor Jiri later officiated at the Nyanga Agricultural Show, where he said, in an interview that Government is concerned with the 25 percent loss of farming produce due to lack of value addition.
He said plans are afoot to set up value addition centres adjacent to village business units (VBUs) to boost farmers’ income and improve their lifestyles.
“Crop loss is always a concern, and what we are doing as a ministry is to ensure that there is a significant reduction of the losses as possible. One of the concepts we are pushing, driven by the many business units, is to create aggregation centres where we have produce which can be aggregated for marketing.
The advantage is that whatever produce we get goes to a common central market where it can be sorted and prepared for the market. That alone will reduce the losses.
“We are also encouraging value addition at the source. We do not want fresh produce to move from the farm as raw materials. We want them to be value added and beneficiated as this is our thrust. We want bananas to produce flour and juices. We are losing 25 percent of our vegetables everyday as they perish before consumption. Here in Nyanga, we have seen strides at this agricultural show by the small-scale growers towards value addition, and that is what we encouraging all our farmers to do,” he said.
Source: Manica Post