Zimbabwe Blueberry Farmers Pursue Booming Demand Amid Funding Challenges, By Reuters

By Nyasha Chingono

HARARE – Farmers in Zimbabwe are gearing up to meet the growing global demand for blueberries. However, self-funded growers like Willard Zireva face significant hurdles, including a lack of financial support and limited assistance from the government.

Zimbabwe is one of the fastest-growing blueberry producers in the world, with production having doubled to 7,000 metric tons last year thanks to favorable climatic conditions. Despite this growth, local farmers struggle to obtain funding for their farming operations.

The horticultural export sector in Zimbabwe, buoyed by blueberries, generates over $100 million annually. However, exports, which peaked at $140 million in 1999, were severely impacted by the land reform policies under former President Robert Mugabe, which involved the seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless Black citizens.

Although the sector is witnessing a resurgence, banks remain cautious about financing agriculture due to issues related to land tenure. This reluctance particularly affects Black farmers like Zireva, who find it difficult to expand their businesses.

Blueberry production is currently dominated by a small number of remaining local white farmers, many of whom are seeking foreign investment to grow their operations. In addition, Zimbabwean banks do not recognize the 99-year leases issued by the government to resettled farmers as collateral for loans. There is also a history of arbitrary land acquisitions by the state, which adds to the hesitance of banks to lend to farmers.

Zireva cultivates 12 hectares of blueberries on his farm located 100 km west of Harare. He purchased the property with freehold rights in the 1990s, prior to the land seizures. After being denied funding from a local bank, he initially relied on personal savings to establish his first crop.

"If funding is available, there is a massive growth opportunity," Zireva noted.

To cultivate a hectare of blueberries in Zimbabwe, a minimum investment of $100,000 is required for importing plants, peat pots from Europe, and specialized crop shading materials. Additional expenses include refrigerated packaging facilities and water resources.

"We need interventions, and those need to come from the government. Nobody else," Zireva emphasized regarding the need for concessional funding for farmers.

Attempts to reach out to the finance and agriculture ministries and the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe for comments went unanswered.

This year, Zireva’s farm is targeting the export of 120 metric tons of blueberries to markets in the United Kingdom and East Asia. However, he pointed out that demand far exceeds supply capabilities. He estimates that an investment of $1.2 million is necessary to double production.

"We hope to secure funding next year to expand to eight more hectares, bringing our total to 20 hectares," Zireva expressed.

The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) has highlighted that the lack of long-term financing is a significant challenge to plans for expanding blueberry cultivation to 1,500 hectares by 2030. HDC CEO Linda Nielsen remarked that without adequate funding, growth in the blueberry sector could plateau in terms of both production volume and market share.