Zimbabwe's blueberry industry quietly rises, targeting the Chinese market directly

In recent years, Peru and Chile have become the main suppliers of blueberries to China's market due to their free trade agreements, tariff advantages and opposite harvest seasons to China. Serbia in Europe, as one of the largest blueberry producers in Europe, is famous for its plump blueberries, rich aroma, and sweet and sour taste. It has also begun to enter the Chinese market, bringing more choices to Chinese consumers.

Zimbabwe’s blueberries have spotted this market opportunity and are ready to develop. As China's blueberry market continues to expand, both domestic and imported blueberries are showing a strong development trend. According to data from the International Blueberry Organization, China's blueberry planting area and total output will rank first in the world in 2022, and total blueberry imports are also continuing to grow.
 
This year, Zimbabwe is expected to export 5,500 tons of blueberries. Although this number seems small, industry insiders predict that the country's blueberry industry is about to experience rapid growth.

The Zimbabwe Horticulture Development Board aims to triple blueberry production by 2030. Starting from small-scale planting in 2008 and being introduced to the global market for the first time in 2017, Zimbabwe's blueberry production has reached 5,500 tons in 2023, making it one of the fastest growing blueberry producers in the world. This year, production is expected to increase to 8,000 tons.