Zim hosts major conference on horticulture
Senior Staff Writer
Leading horticulture growers, investors and government officials are gathering at a key investment forum to be hosted by the Horticulture Development Council (HDC) in Harare in November.
The HDC, which represents the country’s horticulture growers, will host the forum at ART Farm in Harare, under the theme “Opportunities in the field, in policy and all the way to the bank.’’
The investment forum comes at a time when the Government of Zimbabwe has launched the Horticultural Recovery and Growth Plan, which is part of a broader strategy to transform agriculture into a US$13.25 billion sector by 2025.
At the HDC Investment Forum, farmers and investors will have the opportunity to interact with policymakers.
Among the confirmed speakers are the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, and Professor Mthuli Ncube, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.
This is the second such forum, after last year’s debut event that drew strong interest from across the industry.
Hundreds of leading growers from Zimbabwe will be joined by industry experts from Kenya, South Africa and Europe to discuss opportunities for the sector and how to tackle emerging challenges.
The Investment Forum will also hear trends in sectors such as blueberries, citrus and coffee, while providing a platform for interaction with potential investors.
Mrs Linda Nielsen, the Chief Executive Officer of HDC, says the 2023 edition of the HDC Investment Forum comes at a critical time for the industry. Vast new opportunities have opened up for the Zimbabwean horticulture sector, but urgent solutions are needed to clear policy hurdles that are preventing the industry from taking full advantage of these opportunities to grow the sector.
Mrs Nielsen said : “This is a major event on Zimbabwe’s agriculture calendar. The Investment Forum brings together our growers, experts from various fields of horticulture, investors, and policymakers.”
“The horticulture sector is central to our country’s economic growth. For our industry to fully develop to its potential, significant investment is required. We will discuss solutions to some of the most pressing constraints, such as access to financing, the policy environment, climate change and energy,” she said.