Southern Africa Agritrade Gets FAO Focus at ZITF 2026

FAO spotlights Southern Africa Agritrade at ZITF 2026. Partners tackle hurdles in sesame, macadamia, and tomato value chains between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Project Targets Formal Trade Shift

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a high-level policy dialogue. It took place during the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo on or around April 24-25, 2026. Governments of Zimbabwe and Mozambique joined forces. The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) provides financial support. This supports the three-year Zimbabwe–Mozambique Agriculture Value Chain & Trade Development Project (Zim–Moza ATDP).

The project pushes formal cross-border trade. It aims to cut informality and non-tariff barriers. Smallholder farmers gain access to global markets. Key focuses include aggregation, processing, and logistics. The Beira Corridor serves as a main route. ZITF’s theme, “Connected Economies, Competitive Industries,” aligns with these goals.

Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, spoke at the event. “ZITF brings the right stakeholders into one place,” he said. “Including farmers, regulators, buyers, financiers and logistics actors.” He stressed the shift from fragmented informal trade. Structured value chains reward quality. They unlock exports and draw investment.

Maria Cabral, Mozambique’s National Project Coordinator, added insight. “When trade is organized, through farmer aggregation, reliable quality verification, and predictable compliance processes, sesame becomes an export earner.” She highlighted transparency and competitiveness in trade corridors.

Dialogue Addresses Key Constraints

Discussions unpacked main bottlenecks. These include weak buyer-seller links and limited SPS compliance. High transaction costs and post-harvest gaps also hinder progress. Panelists called for farmer and buyer registration. They urged stronger contract enforcement and dispute resolution.

Gift Mugano from Africa Economic Development Strategies joined the panel. “Export competitiveness starts with systems,” he noted. “Traceability, standards enforcement, predictable trade rules and logistics.” Markets finance what they can verify.

The event mixed high-level talks with farmer stories. A moderated panel followed. It covered SPS and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Participants agreed on steps to make crops export-ready.

ZITF offers a platform for deals and networking. The side event turned policy into action. It connected regulators, processors, and financiers.

Investors eye strong returns in Southern Africa Agritrade. The Zim–Moza ATDP opens doors in aggregation and processing. Beira Corridor upgrades boost logistics. Smallholders integrate into global chains. Formal trade cuts risks and lifts yields. Private capital can scale these value chains. Exports in sesame, macadamia, and tomatoes promise steady growth.

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