Horticultural exports declined by 83 percent between 1999 and 2008 with receipts falling to US$24 million last year from US$142 million in 1999.

ZimTrade chief executive, Mr Herbert Chakanyuka said remedial measures were being sought to arrest this trend.

To this end the major point of entry for Zimtrade has been to fill the knowledge gap left by the old farmers.

“A transfer of export skills and knowledge of markets has been a priority in our intervention strategy. “New horticulture farmers need to be equipped with the knowledge in addition to Government input support,” he said.

The ushering in of the new Government and the concomitant launch of the Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme had renewed hopes for the revival of the Zimbabwean economy.

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The Tanzania Horticultural Association has called for more investment flows and the dissemination of market information on horticulture. It has urged the Tanzania Investment Centre and the Board of External Trade to spearhead that campaign.

It has also called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives to assist the industry in reducing pest populations by natural enemies and typically involving an active human role.

It also pleaded with the Government to waive levies on horticultural products to stimulate the industry. A Njombe fruit grower, Mr Frank Msigwa, said many farmers were facing a capital crunch as most financial institutions were considering them uncreditworthy.

“My plan is to cultivate 50 hectares of crops annually but since my capital is inadequate I cultivate only 10 hectares,” he said. He called on commercial banks to offer long-time loans to enable farmers to buy farm implements and raise production. He urged the Government to provide incentives to farmers to enable them to produce marketable, high-quality and competitive products.

Lack of quality seeds and information on export markets is hurting growth of horticultural in the North Rift region. Farmers there have asked the government to give them more information on modern production techniques and markets.

“Lack of knowledge on quality production of the crop to meet export market requirements and access to storage facilities is an impediment to expansion of horticultural production in the region”, said their representative, Julius Katam from Koitoror in Uasin Gishu District.

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Potatoes production in Rwanda can be improved if biotechnology is used, says Dr. Jan Krenze, project coordinator of International Potato Center (CIP). Biotechnology is any technique that uses living organisms or substances from those organisms, to make or modify a product, to improve plants or animals. It involves gene transformation and the use of chemicals. In potato production, it enhances disease and weevil resistant potato species.

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Kenya horticulture sector, the largest exporter of cut flowers to Europe, earned Sh70.3 billion in 2007 up 63% from the previous year, the Central Bank said on Tuesday. “Growth in this sub-sector was buoyed by good export prices of the key export commodities, as export values increased faster than increase in volume of exports”, the bank said in its monthly economic review for February. The sector surpassed tourism as the country’s leading foreign exchange earner. The tourism sector earned an estimated 65.4 billion shillings in 2007, according to the Kenya Tourist Board.

Horticulture industry group the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Association earlier this year put horticulture’s earnings for 2007 at Sh49 billion. The sector’s officials said the industry was only slightly affected by post-election violence at the start of this year, which slowed the tourism industry. A large proportion of the earnings came from flowers, which accounted for Sh43.1 billion or 64% of the 2007 earnings.

Horticulture employs two million Kenyans directly, 80% of them small-scale farmers. Many flower farm workers were displaced when violence erupted in Naivasha, one of the leading producers of cut flowers. However, peace returned after the signing of a peace deal between President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga.