The ManicaPost
Tanyararadzwa Mujati
Post Reporter
THE country’s export promotion board, ZimTrade, is working around the clock to ensure that Honde Valley-based Pahasha Banana Cluster becomes one of the country’s leading revenue generating ventures by exporting their value-added banana products to the lucrative foreign markets.
The move will contribute significantly to the provincial Gross Domestic Product.
Due to the growing export market for bananas in areas like South Africa, Zambia and Asia as a whole, ZimTrade has been working with Pahasha Cluster to ensure that they reap better rewards for their venture through growing their export capacity.
Pahasha Cluster is producing over 45 tonnes of bananas every month but currently, these are being sold locally.
The group started operating in April 2017 and would produce five tonnes a month back then.
Speaking at a seminar organised by ZimTrade at Chitombo Primary School in Honde Valley recently, the organisation’s client advisor for the Eastern Region, Ms Patience Moyo said bananas have a growing market in South Africa and Zambia.
“We have also recently identified Dubai as a potential market for bananas. This is why we are trying to develop this cluster and work with it so that they do not only sell their bananas locally, but also export them to generate more revenue.”
Mr Edmond Haukozi, one of the members of the cluster said Pahasha is aiming to produce good quality bananas and banana products to suit the export market.
“When we started doing the banana project, we were producing five tonnes per month, but we are now producing up to 45 tonnes per month. We are looking forward to producing 95 tonnes of bananas per month.
“We are now looking forward to tapping into the growing export market, all thanks to ZimTrade,” said Mr Haukozi.
Apart from banana production, the Pahasha Cluster has also ventured into macadamia nuts which are promising to boost their export profile.
