Zimbabwe has shipped its first blueberries to China after the two countries finalized phytosanitary standards in September 2025. The country’s favorable climate has fueled one of the world’s fastest-growing blueberry industries, and it now aims to tap surging global demand tied to the fruit’s health benefits. It’s also among 53 African nations granted tariff-free access to Chinese markets under a policy that began May 1. The Horticultural Development Council said attention now turns to scaling up production and identifying optimal shipping routes, though it didn’t specify the size of the initial shipment. Zimbabwe ranks as Africa’s third-largest blueberry producer, trailing Morocco and South Africa, and expects to export 12,000 metric tons from about 850 hectares in 2026, up from 9,500 tons the previous year.
CNBC Africa