The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Farming Reporter
ZIMTRADE has engaged horticultural experts from a non-governmental organisation PUM from the Netherlands in a move aimed at improving production and promoting exports of fresh produce.
The country’s trade promotion body invited senior PUM onion expert, Mr Hans Van Leeuwen and Mr Rein Kielstra, a peas production and packaging expert on a two-week mission.
Mr Van Leeuwen who has 45 years experience in onion production was in the country last month with Mr Kielstra who boasts of 20 years in peas production visiting two weeks ago.
The interventions are aimed at enhancing productivity and export competitiveness through on-farm training.
ZimTrade and PUM signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 13 April 2016, which has seen Zimbabwean Horticultural and Manufacturing Sectors benefiting from assistance by Netherlands experts.
The PUM experts provide technical assistance across the horticultural value chain in order to improve productivity as well as promote the growth of exports.
Since the signing of the MoU between the two parties, over 50 farmers and Small to Medium Enterprises have benefited. Mr Van Leeuwen was exploring and assessing onion production, with the aim of introducing an onion pool system.
A pool system is common practice in the Dutch agriculture system, whereby growers will bring in their produce together. The produce is graded and stored in a warehouse and will be sold during off season periods when they fetch premium prices.
According to the expert, the critical points in this pool concept are maintaining good onion quality in and off season.
The idea is to set up three onion pools of 800-1 000 tonnes of produce per annum across the country. Members of the pool can sell part of their harvest directly on the market and deliver the rest to the warehouse pool, where it is graded and stocked in crates.
PUM is a non-profit organisation established in 1978 by the Dutch employers’ federation VNO-NCW, with financial support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since its inception 1978 it has assisted over 40 000 organisations worldwide.
The vice-president of the Horticulture Marketers Association, Mr Godwin Mushore said the consumption of onions in Zimbabwe is around
15 000 to 20 000 tonnes per year, with local production around 7 000 tonnes.
He, however, pointed out that most growers in Zimbabwe do not have the appropriate knowledge as well as facilities to store their crop for commercial purposes.
“These interventions could assist local growers to boost their production and beg able to consistently supply both the local and export market”, he added.
According to Trade Map, in 2015, global total imports of onions stood at $3,8 billion with major importers being USA, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Germany. In the Southern African Development Community region, all member states import onions with the major importers being Angola, South Africa, Mauritius and Botswana. This presents an opportunity to local onion growers.
@DNsingo
