Forget gold and copper. Africa’s latest boom is in blueberries and oranges
Zimbabwe is experiencing an agricultural boom in blueberry exports, shifting the economic focus from traditional commodities like gold and copper. This trend highlights a broader shift toward high-tech, labor-intensive farming as a form of industrialization in Africa.
Why it matters
It illustrates how African economies are diversifying and integrating into global supply chains through high-value agricultural exports.
“IT’S A HIVE of activity,” says Alistair Campbell, observing the scene at his blueberry farm 40km outside of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Hundreds of workers pick the fruit from the bushes, before carrying the bounty to a cold-storage facility. After sorting, the berries are flown to east Asia, where demand is high for the largest globules, or shipped to Europe for sale in major supermarkets. “We’re flat out,” says Mr Campbell. “We could sell our crop five or six times over.”For once the colour associated with a boom in Zimbabwe is blue, not gold. This year Zimbabwean growers expect to export 12,000 tonnes of blueberries, 40 times more than in 2017. “Every man and his dog is planting blueberries,” says one of the country’s most prominent bankers. The tiny fruit contains a deeper parable.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in