HARARE, July 10 (Xinhua) -- ZimTrade, Zimbabwe's national trade development and promotion body, has hailed the country's first shipment of blueberries to China under the new phytosanitary protocol as a milestone that will boost horticulture exports and diversify the nation's export base.
The landmark shipment also benefited from China's zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties, which took effect on May 1.
"It confirms that Zimbabwean produce can meet the requirements of a demanding market and that the work being done to open new destinations for local products is beginning to yield practical results," Allan Majuru, ZimTrade chief executive officer, told Xinhua on Thursday.
Majuru said horticulture is expected to play a pivotal role in enabling Zimbabwe to achieve its targeted annual export growth of 10 percent for goods and 15 percent for services by 2030.
China is becoming an increasingly important trade partner for Zimbabwe, ranking as the country's third-largest export destination between January and May this year.
"What is critical now is to ensure that the composition of exports into China becomes more balanced, with more value-added and high-value agricultural products entering that market," Majuru said, noting that blueberries will help diversify Zimbabwe's China-bound exports, which have traditionally been dominated by minerals and tobacco.
He added that gaining access to the Chinese market gives local producers a stronger platform to expand, attract investment and build reliable supply systems.
"For the horticulture industry, access to China opens room for increased production, stronger cold-chain infrastructure, better packaging, more certification capacity and expanded employment along the value chain," Majuru said, urging the sector to focus on consistency, quality and compliance to sustain export earnings.
Zimbabwe and China signed the blueberry phytosanitary agreement in September last year, adding to previous protocols on sweet citrus and avocado exports signed in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, the country's agricultural exports to China reached 804 million U.S. dollars last year, accounting for 31 percent of its total exports to China. ■