THE Horticultural Development Council (HDC) will next week host its annual investment forum in Harare meant to provide a platform to discuss strategies for unlocking the investment potential of the multi-million-dollar industry.
The event will run under the theme Future-proofing Horticulture Strong Pipelines for Bold Investments.
In a statement on Monday, HDC said the event would convene investors and industry leaders to explore financing opportunities within Zimbabwe’s growing horticulture sector.
HDC chief executive officer Linda Nielsen emphasised importance of the forum.
“The Zimbabwean horticulture sector is at a pivotal moment. Vast opportunities have emerged across the industry,” she said.
“This exciting event aims to find solutions to unlock sustainable financing to help the industry to fully capitalise on opportunities while addressing policy challenges that hinder the sector’s growth.”
Participants will have the opportunity to engage with key policymakers, including representatives from the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion ministries.
The forum will also attract producers, financial institutions, development partners and potential investors.
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NMB Bank is partnering HDC for this event, highlighting its critical support to the country’s horticulture value chain.
HDC said the horticulture sector was crucial to boost export earnings and creating jobs, as a significant driver of the nation’s economy.
“With an increasing global demand for Zimbabwean produce, the expansion of this sector is essential for economic diversification, making it a prime target for investment,” HDC said.
Last year, the government launched a US$30 million Horticulture Export Revolving Fund in which the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, FBC Bank, NMB Bank, CABS Bank and the AFC Land and Development Bank signed a memorandum of agreement and term sheet.
The agreement allows the RBZ to disburse the funds to banks.
Since then, international financiers have been giving out support to certain local financial institutions to support the horticulture industry.
The horticulture industry is seeking to grow the area under horticulture to 55 300 hectares from 36 600 hectares and attain a gross value to US$3,9 billion by next year.
It has set an annual export target of US$1,32 billion for next year, with Europe as the target market.
