Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environmen & Innovations Editor
The just-ended 9th World Avocado Congress, which was held in Medellin, Colombia, offers some major insights into a produce that could quickly transform Zimbabwe’s agricultural landscape through increased foreign currency earnings and better livelihood options for the country’s smallholder farmers.

Information gleaned from congress reports shows that the market for avocados around the world is growing rapidly, bringing a lot of new opportunities for avocado producing countries. “Avocado demand has exploded worldwide, largely due to the fruit’s much publicised health benefits,” organisers of the congress said in a report.

“Israeli farmers are also set to strike it big from the fad, thanks to demand for the fruit in Europe. Israel has exported 100 000 tonnes of avocados so far in 2016, and is one of the only countries which exports to Europe in the winter, as South American grower countries export to Europe in the summer only.”

Avocados are a low hanging fruit for Zimbabwe. The Southern African country has a huge potential to grow avocados as a strategy of coping with climatic change as well as a livelihood option for the country’s smallholder farmers, who bear the brunt of droughts and flooding. In most urban locations, avocados are being grown, but without any organisation or strategy to tap into the lucrative export market.

Avocados are grown for own consumption and for sale on the local market. A few quantities are sold to hotels and restaurants as well as local oil and soap manufacturing companies.

Much of the production has been inward looking rather than outward looking. One or two local companies have taken avocado production seriously.

For many other developing countries avocados still hold much promise for smallholder farmers in terms of generating earnings for them and foreign currency. Statistics speak volumes about avocados — which apart from having a delicious flavour and creamy texture — are a nutritious fruit containing monounsaturated fats, which are healthy for the heart, help increase good cholesterol (HDL) and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL).

In addition, they are a good source of potassium, better than bananas. Trade analysts say Colombia tops the list of the world’s fastest avocado exporters, followed by Morocco. Kenya comes at number three, being the only country in East and Central Africa that produces avocados.

A 2019 half year survey shared at the World Avocado Congress in Colombia indicated that Kenya has overtaken South Africa in the production of the fruit. Earlier this year, Kenya and China signed a deal that allows the East African country to export avocados to the Asian giant, according to media reports.

“A survey undertaken in 2018 puts Colombia, Morocco, Kenya and Germany as the fastest growing exporters of the fruit,” read part of a report online.

“United Kingdom, Europe and Asia are the biggest markets for avocado. Kenya is also placed seventh in the list of leading exporters of avocados in 2018. “The list is dominated by Spanish-speaking countries, with Mexico raking US$2,4 billion, Netherlands (US$733,8 billion), Peru (US$722,8 million) in third, Spain (US$346 million), Chile (US$323,2 million), the United States of America (US$179 million), as before Kenya seals off the top seven having got US$118 million (Sh11,8 billion).”

The statistics are quite telling. And there is nothing that can prevent Zimbabwe from ratcheting up production of its avocados. Zimbabwe is spending millions of its precious foreign currency on fruit and spice imports.

Avocado production is something which the country can easily harness through support and implementation of the country’s horticultural strategy. This can create jobs, improve farmer livelihoods and generate foreign currency for the country just like tobacco is doing. Avocado production is still low and a neglected area of agriculture in Zimbabwe.

The few farmers that do, produce small quantities that do not make a big impact on the international market. Demand for avocados is quite massive in the cosmetics industry where it is used as a dry skin moisturiser and anti-wrinkle solution.

Its oil in the food industry is offered to the consumer as gourmet oil. Another use of its seed is in the manufacture of biodegradable disposables. Zimbabwe has various ecological regions where avocado production could be promoted on a large scale.

The Eastern Highlands and most parts of Mashonaland have the potential to be major growing hubs for avocados. Farmers in these provinces as well as growers in urban areas must be educated on the need to diversify agriculture by growing high value crops such as avocados and many other horticultural crops.

The country’s avocado exports increased by 400 percent from US$177 000 in 2012 to US$710 000 in 2014 driven mainly by large-scale avocado producers from plantations in Manicaland Province, according official figures.

In a report, last month, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) said the country has the potential to earn over US$4 million annually from exporting avocados to Japan if the Asian country removes its restrictions on the importation of fresh fruits and vegetables from Africa. ZimTrade concurred and said Zimbabwe had the potential to increase avocado exports to the European Union considering the favourable climatic conditions to organically grow the crop in the country.

In 2018, Zimbabwe exported avocados worth 5,7 million euros to the EU, with 53 percent of the total exports going to the Netherlands. Demand for avocados is quite high given the expanding sales to restaurants, supermarkets and the hospitality industry. With proper support, training, quality controls, simple technology and investment, Zimbabwe can easily tap into the vast opportunities that exist in the avocado growing business.

The country can easily move to compete with other countries in Africa given its diverse agronomic conditions and hardworking farmers eager to grow any crop that can enhance their earnings.

At present Zimbabwe only exports small quantities of avocados to Europe. Avocado exports have largely been constrained by low volumes, deficiencies in quality and the unreliability of producers. The food and pharmaceutical industry requires large amounts of avocados.

Diversifying into avocados makes a lot of sense given the volatility of global prices and the growing anti-sugar and tobacco campaigns, which are threatening the future of the country’s export earnings. Avocados can easily add significant amounts into our foreign currency coffers. Across the globe, the demand for healthy foods is at an all-time high.

Experts say that the worldwide market for healthy foods such as the avocado will be successful in unleashing its maximum potential in the coming years, one reason why Zimbabwe should move with speed to harness this sector.

Some researchers say the growth in the market will be driven by the increasing awareness on the health benefits of avocados, the rising demand for ethnic cuisines, and the growing popularity of convenience foods.

Nutrition-conscious consumers are increasingly aware of the health benefits of avocados as they seek to reduce the overload of foods with sugar or salt, the major culprits for the rise in non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart diseases.

Avocados’ potential health benefits include improving digestion, decreasing risk of depression and protection against cancer, something which should spur Zimbabwe to leverage on the growing demand for this “low hanging fruit.”