Instead of gold and copper, African countries are betting on blueberries and oranges

Previously, Africa exported gold, diamonds and copper, coffee, cocoa and cotton. However, in recent years, a real breakthrough has occurred in a completely different sector – the production of berries and citrus fruits.

On plantations in the vicinity of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, work never stops. Hundreds of workers harvest blueberries, which, after cooling and sorting, are sent by plane to East Asia or by ship to European supermarkets. While the country's economic hopes were once linked to gold, today the color of success has turned blue.

This year, Zimbabwe plans to export 12,000 tons of blueberries, which is 40 times more than seven years ago. Local bankers joke that everyone is now trying to grow this berry.

This situation reflects deeper changes on the continent. The share of conventional industrial production in sub-Saharan Africa has not grown for a decade and a half, raising concerns among analysts. However, modern farms are essentially transforming into open-air mini-factories. This process is called "freshness industrialization": the work here requires a large number of people, yet it is tightly integrated into global supply chains and high technologies.

Historically, African countries depended on the export of one or two agricultural crops, which made their economies very vulnerable to price fluctuations. Over the past decade, fruits and nuts have for the first time become Africa's main agricultural export, surpassing even cocoa beans, which have long been a symbol of the continent's agrarian exports. Simultaneously, the role of traditional crops – cotton, tobacco, sugar cane – is declining.

Although Africa still lags behind Latin America, where Peru has quickly become a global leader in blueberry cultivation, the continent's potential is enormous. Berry cultivation is transforming into a complex technological process: sophisticated breeding bushes are used, hidden under special coverings, and optical machines handle sorting. To maximize profits, companies schedule their production cycle for the summer – when American supplies are depleted, and Peruvian ones are not yet available for sale.

Павялічыць

Similar processes are underway in other countries. Kenya and Ethiopia have established strong positions in the flower market, using water purification systems and special lighting to enhance plant appearance. Exports of tropical fruits – avocados, mangoes, and pineapples – have tripled in ten years. Last year, Europeans consumed over a million tons of avocados, a significant portion of which was supplied by Morocco and Kenya.

The example of the Republic of South Africa is particularly illustrative. This year, it surpassed Spain for the first time to become the world's largest exporter of citrus fruits. Oranges now bring the country more foreign currency than diamonds. This success was made possible by the abandonment of state regulation and the creation of strong industry associations that fund scientific research and lobby for farmers' interests.

The development of horticulture also drives other industries. In Kenya, companies have started producing dried fruit snacks to avoid discarding produce that doesn't meet fresh export requirements. In Zimbabwe, agritech startups have emerged, developing mobile applications for weather forecasting and yield monitoring. In South Africa, new research companies have appeared, working for the needs of the citrus industry.

But problems also abound. Poor roads, overloaded ports, and a lack of cold chain infrastructure complicate deliveries. In addition, African states have to wage a complex diplomatic struggle for market access, as sanitary standards in developed countries are often used as a disguised means of protecting their own producers.

Nevertheless, the prospects look optimistic. In May, China abolished tariffs on most African goods, and the first consignments of Zimbabwean berries have already headed for this market. The success of fruits and flowers indicates that Africa's future may be linked not to raw material extraction, but to innovative productions in all sectors of the economy.

• 8
• 1
• 1
• 0
• 1
• 0
• 0
• 0