Zimbabwe’s blueberry boom keeps building momentum

By Linda Nielsen

As I write, winter has arrived in Zimbabwe. Berry season is starting once again. There’s a special kind of energy that comes with this time of year. Farms become busier, packhouses come alive, and exporters begin preparing fruit for markets around the world.

Zimbabwe’s blueberry export season typically runs from April through October. Around 60% of export volumes are harvested between August and October.

It’s a reminder of just how quickly Zimbabwe’s blueberry industry has grown. What started as a relatively small niche crop is now becoming one of the country’s most exciting horticultural export success stories.

The momentum is still building. In 2025, Zimbabwe exported approximately 9,500 tonnes of blueberries from an estimated 650 hectares under production. For 2026, planted hectarage is expected to increase to around 850 hectares, with export volumes projected to reach 12,000 tonnes.

Of course, blueberries, like any agricultural product, are still influenced by seasonal and global market dynamics. Zimbabwe’s 2025 season matured slightly later than usual, which meant some overlap with Peru and South Africa’s Western Cape production toward the tail end of the marketing window. That overlap placed pressure on late-season prices.

Even so, our growers remain very optimistic. Many are expecting a return to earlier production timing, similar to the 2024 season, which would once again allow Zimbabwean fruit to reach premium market windows ahead of peak Peruvian volumes. That timing advantage is critical because it supports stronger prices and demand.

Another exciting development is happening on the production side. Zimbabwean growers are increasingly planting improved blueberry genetics from leading international breeding houses. They are slowly moving away from some of the older varieties that helped establish the industry in its early years.

The results so far are very encouraging. These newer varieties are showing strong performance in yield, fruit quality, shelf life and production timing. Just as importantly, they are helping growers target those valuable early market windows more consistently, strengthening Zimbabwe’s competitiveness against larger Southern Hemisphere producers.

Many growers believe these advances in genetics could significantly speed up industry growth over the next few years.

There’s more good news; we have also just reached a big milestone. After years of work and negotiation, Zimbabwe has completed protocol procedures for access to the Chinese market. The signing of the export protocol is a major moment for the blueberry industry. This adds more demand for our berries from 2026 onwards.

At the same time, there is growing interest from India and other Asian markets. That interest is already driving new investment discussions and expansion plans across the industry. Zimbabwe is increasingly being looked at as a strategic Southern Hemisphere supplier capable of serving fast-growing consumer markets during important supply windows.

Expansion over the past two years has been slightly more measured because of rising global production costs and tighter financing conditions, but the overall outlook is quite positive.

Local banks have shown a greater appetite for supporting export horticulture projects. International lenders and development finance institutions are also taking notice of us.

Industry estimates suggest approximately 150 hectares of new blueberry plantings could be established during 2026 as confidence improves and new markets open up.

The long-term outlook for the sector is exciting. We have a lot going for us, from favourable growing conditions, competitive labour availability, improving technical expertise and strong international demand for our premium blueberries.

Growers are also investing heavily in infrastructure and sustainability. Across the industry, we are seeing expanded solar installations supporting packhouses and cold-chain operations. Farmers are working extra hard to support resilience while reducing dependence on sometimes unreliable power supply.

Yes, there are policy issues we still need ironing out if we are to fully unlock Zimbabwe’s full potential.

Export horticulture remains highly exposed to currency regulations, rising costs of production and higher freight costs. We are engaging the government and letting them know of policy changes that will keep our growth going; improved foreign currency retention frameworks, more competitive export financing, and targeted tax incentives for capital-intensive export agriculture investments such as irrigation systems, solar infrastructure and cold-chain development. The lack of adequate financing is a big worry for growers. But it is also an opportunity for financiers looking to fund high growth and sustainable operations.

Zimbabwe’s blueberry industry has already shown what is possible. We are excited by what comes next.

Linda Nielsen is CEO of HDC.