On July 6, Delecta Fruit [3] announced that it had successfully air-freighted three trial pallets of Zimbabwean blueberries [4] to China, marking Zimbabwe’s first-ever blueberry export to the Chinese market.

Delecta, which handled the inaugural shipment, is headquartered in South Africa’s Western Cape. Established in 1997, the company began as a fresh table grape exporter and has since expanded its portfolio to include citrus, apples, pears, stone fruit, blueberries and cherries, sourcing produce from South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

China’s General Administration of Customs approved the import [5] of fresh Zimbabwean blueberries in September 2025. Under the import protocol, blueberries exported to China must undergo either cold treatment or fumigation; for air shipments, methyl bromide fumigation is required before export. Zimbabwean blueberries will also benefit from China’s policy of granting zero tariffs [6] on all products under eligible tariff lines from the 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations.

Zimbabwe began growing blueberries on a small scale in 2008 and launched commercial exports in 2017. The harvest season runs from April through October, with around 60% of production harvested between August and October. Since 2018, the country’s blueberry export volume has increased tenfold, with major export destinations including the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Zimbabwe’s Horticultural Development Council said that the country produced around 9,500 metric tons of blueberries in 2025 and forecast that production would reach 12,000 metric tons in 2026. Morocco and South Africa are currently Africa’s leading blueberry producers, with Zimbabwe ranking third on the continent. The HDC believes that with supportive government policies to encourage investment, Zimbabwe has the potential to become Africa’s largest blueberry exporter.

Image: Delecta Fruit

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [7].