Cheap imports from Zambia, Tanzania undercut Zimbabwe sugar bean farmers

Zimbabwe is experiencing a surge in cheap sugar bean imports from Tanzania and Zambia, as local producers struggle to meet domestic demand due to high production costs.

Experts say the influx is placing significant pressure on local farmers, who are failing to compete with lower-priced imports entering the market.

Providing an update on fresh produce trends, Knowledge Transfer Africa (KTA) chief executive, Dr Charles Dhewa, said imported sugar beans are landing in Harare at significantly lower prices than those required by local farmers to break even.

"A bucket of NUA45 sugar beans is landing in Harare at US$19 from Tanzania and US$20 from Zambia," he said. "For local farmers to be profitable, they need to sell at US$25 and above per bucket."

Dr Dhewa noted that the high cost of production continues to undermine competitiveness, particularly for farmers operating in irrigation schemes in Manicaland, where sugar beans are a key cash crop.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) operations director, Dr Prince Kuipa, said the liberalised nature of the market means prices are largely dictated by supply and demand.

"Our checks in urban fresh produce markets show sugar beans retailing at around US$36 per bucket," he said. "Since producer prices are not regulated, farmers must be strategic in choosing where and how they sell, and avoid middlemen where possible."

Dr Kuipa urged farmers to secure markets before planting to avoid post-harvest losses and price exploitation.

"Aggregation of produce can improve access to high-value markets that buy in bulk. Farmers selling small quantities are often disadvantaged by aggregators and middlemen," he said.

He also encouraged growers to time production cycles carefully to avoid harvesting during periods of market oversupply, which often drives prices down.

For the 2025/26 agricultural season, farmers are estimated to require about US$1 053 per hectare to produce sugar beans, a cost that defines their break-even threshold.

According to the Crops, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment Report (CLAFA 2) for 2024/25, sugar bean production rose by 138 percent to 18 067 tonnes, up from 7 587 tonnes in the previous season.

However, despite the increase, output remains far below national demand. Zimbabwe requires approximately 104 850 tonnes of sugar beans annually, based on an average consumption rate of 7kg per person per year.

With last season's production falling short, the country faces a deficit of 86 783 tonnes, which must be covered through imports.

At current productivity levels of 0.51 tonnes per hectare, farmers would need an output price of around US$2 064 per tonne just to break even.

As imports continue to fill the supply gap, stakeholders warn that without interventions to lower production costs and improve market access, local farmers may remain uncompetitive in their own market.