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Zimbabwe hosts international trade fair for floriculture and horticulture as it seeks to reposition sectors

October 10, 2018

By Wallace Mawire A three-day international trade fair for the floriculture and horticulture industry has opened today in Harare, Zimbabwe running until 11 October, 2018 as the country aims to reposition the ailing sector to boost much needed foreign exchange. According to Dick van Raamsdonk, General Manager of HPP International Exhibitions group based in Holland, the first edition of the newly established international trade fair hortiflor was especially created for the horticulture industry of Zimbabwe. He said that hortiflor is a platform where growers, suppliers, traders, investors and buyers of fresh produce and fresh flowers can meet. “This is a platform where Zimbabwean horticulture can meet with the world of horticulture,” Raamsdonk said. He also said that the three day trade event in its first edition has attracted exhibitors from 10 countries and visitors from an expected 15 to 20 countries. “With a total of almost 60 companies that represent growers and suppliers from the fresh flower and fresh produce sectors, it can be called an excellent beginning of much more to come in the near future. Since Zimbabwe has already proven to be one of Africa’s top exporters of horticulture products in the past, it is not a new road that has to be taken, but much more continuing on an existing road, basically in a pretty good shape, just waiting for a good maintenance. This together with the message of a new government of Zimbabwe, that the country is open for business, makes it very interesting opportunity that offers great chances to both Zimbabwean and international companies,” Raamsdonk said. Gorden Makoni, Chairman of the Export Flower Growers Association of Zimbabwe (EFGAZ) said that the premier trade show, the first of its kind in over 18 years in Zimbabwe brings together farmers, growers, breeders, investors and buyers with one purpose of increasing horticulture export in Zimbabwe. Makoni said that the flower industry is going through remarkable growth buoyed by the four rising stars, Colombia, Kenya, Ecuador and Ethiopia. “The US market is on the upswing, Russia market is declining but the Netherlands remains the fulcrum of the global flower trade,” Makoni said. He added that to think that in the late 90s to early 2000, Zimbabwe was only second to Kenya and third in the world in flower production reads like a fairy tale. “The exhibition by HPP exhibition reminds us that we have work to do, that is to take back our spot snatched by Ethiopia,” Makoni said. He also added that Zimbabwe had some of the best climate for cut flower production and horticulture. “We need to seize on this comparative advantage against our erstwhile and it does put us in a good steady,” he added. Makoni also called on the government to lead by ensuring that the industry is well funded the way mining is funded, land issue is stabilized and can be used as collateral as some farmers are failing to use land as collateral to increase production. He also added that value chain linkages are needed to make sure that growth in one has the domino effect on all up and downstream industries including marketing, freight forwarding, finance, input suppliers, agro-chemicals, greenhouses, packaging, irrigation, cold rooms and refrigerated trucks. Agribank Acting CEO, Mr Francis Macheka said that his bank was ready to create competitive facilities such as capital to support financing for horticulture and floriculture in Zimbabwe. He said that his bank was geared to drive exports growth and has made progress in sectors such as tobacco farming. He said that the bank was pleased that some farmers in Zimbabwe had already started to launch or relaunch projects in horticulture and floriculture and the bank was ready to offer much needed capital finance.

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