Rising temperatures threaten fresh produce in Zimbabwe

Rising temperatures across the country are taking a toll on fresh produce, with massive losses being recorded at markets.

Knowledge Transfer eMukumba chief executive Dr Charles Dhewa has called for urgent interventions to salvage perishable goods before they spoil, warning that the continued heatwave is worsening food waste.

"We see the heat is causing a lot of losses, especially in fresh commodities. The hotter it becomes, the more losses we incur. We have Geo Pomona moving around the city collecting garbage. Similarly, we should have an organisation that moves around collecting food before it gets bad than waiting for food to become garbage, then collect it and convert it into energy," he said.

Dr Dhewa suggested that institutions such as the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) should be equipped with trucks to collect food nearing spoilage and transport it to warehouses or factories for processing into canned goods or redistribution.

Such an initiative, he noted, would cut down waste, improve farmers' incomes, and promote food security.

"There is a missing institution in our agricultural sector that should have trucks collecting food, buying food, moving around the country and making sure that farmers receive better income," he said.

Zimbabwe, he added, is producing abundant food, including grains and livestock, but lacks a reliable market.

"Given the private sector's financial constraints, the Government should utilise revenue from mining, roads and other national income sources to purchase surplus food, thereby reducing losses and avoiding future imports," he said.