Source: Chinese delegation explores macadamia opportunities in Chipinge – herald
Luthando Mapepa
Correspondent
A CHINESE delegation of horticultural product buyers visited Chipinge yesterday to explore potential business opportunities in the macadamia nut sector.
The visit, facilitated by national trade promotion body ZimTrade, is part of ongoing efforts to attract international markets for Zimbabwe’s agricultural produce.
During their tour, the delegation engaged with leading tea and macadamia producers, including Tanganda Tea Company at New Year’s Gift and Ariston Holdings at Clearwater, as well as smallholder farmers.
The buyers expressed strong interest in sourcing macadamia nuts directly from Chipinge growers.
Speaking during the visit, Ariston Holdings factories manager, Mr Woeshik Mangezi, welcomed the engagement, noting that expanding into new international markets is crucial for the company’s growth.
“We are happy to find new international buyers for our macadamia nuts here in Chipinge. This is a game changer for the horticultural sector in the country, and we hope to work together under bilateral agreements between China and Zimbabwe,” said Mr Mangezi.
He explained that while buyers showed keen interest in spot pricing, the company could not immediately fulfill the entire order as much of the crop had already been committed to other international buyers.
He also highlighted that Chipinge is experiencing an unusually long summer season with rains extending into winter, which has disrupted the harvesting calendar and delayed quality assessments.
Mr Mangezi emphasised that Ariston Holdings is focused on building long-term trading relationships with the Chinese delegation.
Macadamia Marketing and Production Farmers’ Cooperative chairman, Mr Landelani Mapungwana, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the arrival of new buyers will boost competitiveness and benefit local producers.
“We are happy with the engagements with the Chinese buyers. The discussions were fruitful, and we hope to trade with them. We need to improve certain areas, such as drying our nuts, to meet their requirements since they indicated they want to buy directly from us,” he said.
The Chinese delegation expressed optimism about working with Zimbabwean horticultural producers and underscored the importance of leveraging bilateral agreements to strengthen trade ties between the two countries.
The post Chinese delegation explores macadamia opportunities in Chipinge appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.