HORTICULTURAL exporters have called on Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to establish direct cargo flights between Harare and London/Amsterdam as the export of peas is set to start next month.
This follows the recent visit by eight buyers from the UK and the European union (EU) who toured the country’s 11 farms and food firms exporting to their countries.
Export Produce Growers Association of Zimbabwe, an affiliate of the Horticultural Development Council, chairman and Kuminda chief executive, Mr Clarence Mwale, said direct cargo flights would help lower airlines and logistics costs.
“Logistics is the biggest hindrance for small-scale farmers, as more often than not, we export through OR Tambo airport in South Africa, using British and KLM airlines, making freight much more expensive.
“We also have to road freight it to Cape Town for sea freight,” he said.
Mr Mwale said the country could use its diplomatic charm to negotiate with these two countries to have direct cargo flights.
Most of the country’s horticulture exports are shipped to the Netherlands, from where other EU countries get their supply.
The country’s mange tout and sugar snap peas exploit the niche period from April to October when prices are high on the international market as a result of low supply from the main supplier, Guatemala.
Peas produced within this window period are air-lifted to the EU to fill the supply void and get very high prices.
However, any peas produced after the window period are shipped via sea and take a lot of days to reach the market, where they get low prices due to oversupply.
“Our mange tout and sugar snap peas are ready for export in three weeks, but many airlines are forced to reroute, suspend or reduce flights.
“Air freight costs are set to double or triple in the short-term as a result of war risk surcharges, limited air cargo lift and unstable schedules,” he said.
Mr Mwale revealed that global air cargo had dropped by 22 percent since early March this year, a direct effect of geopolitical disturbance in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
“Planting started in week 6 and will continue until June. We are targeting 800 tonnes of peas with exports starting in week 14 (early April).
“We expect peas cultivation to increase this year as more farmers have shown their interest in growing the crop under Kuminda’s ‘hub and spoke’ model,” said the Kuminda boss.
Kuminda is a multi-national company founded in Zimbabwe to empower farmers by linking them with international markets.
Last week, Ireland Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Austin Gormley and his wife Mrs Krassi Gormley, visited Kuminda packhouse to get first-hand insight into its operations.
Kuminda exported over 100 tonnes of mange tout and sugar snap peas to Ireland last year.
The UK and Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Arrangement (EPA) empowers 5 000 small-scale farmers with skills and resources to grow mange tout and sugar snap peas and provide employment for women as graders and packers.
Zimbabwe supplies 60 percent of the UK’s sugar snaps. Zimbabwe enjoys duty-free market access under EPA.
EPAs are permanent partnerships that encourage a progressive shift from aid to trade and investment as engines of growth, jobs and poverty reduction.
Meanwhile, statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that earnings from fresh peas exports that rose 15 percent from US$2,91 to US$3,336 million in 2024 dropped 13 percent to US$2 890 122 last year.
This was caused by a 19 percent decline in average price to US$0,95 last year from US$1,17 per kg, though in volume terms it rose seven percent to 3 052 747 last year from 2 861 744 kilogrammes in 2024.-herald
