HARARE – Zimbabwe’s horticulture industry said it will take advantage of regional airfreight hubs to move produce in light of the recent suspension of the KLM/MartinAir service to Harare.
KLM has provided a link to Zimbabwe’s largest market destination, Amsterdam, which serves as the gateway for Zimbabwean produce into the broader EU market for 27 years.
After servicing the route for close to three decades, the Royal Dutch Airlines announced it was ending its freight operations to Harare, beginning this April, due to operational challenges.
Frequent 48-hour delays, cancellations, and rescheduling have impacted Harare flights and the decision to halt the freight service “was influenced by the short flight leg, lack of local maintenance facilities, and unstable freight”.
In a statement on Monday, the Horticultural Development Council (HDC) said while the suspension of KLM/Martin Air services may cause some short-term disruptions, the sector would explore other routes to mitigate the looming crisis.
“Available route-to-market options include leveraging regional airfreight hubs and connections through Ethiopia, Doha, and Dubai,” said the council.
The sector however attributed the flights suspension to the decline in the production of key export crops during the 2022/23 season, such as peas and flowers, which reduced Zimbabwe’s negotiating power for scarce cargo space.
“This led to KLM/MartinAir’s temporary reduction of flights to Harare in February 2024. Although flights were later reinstated, this served as a wake-up call for the industry.
“The horticulture industry is actively engaging with the Government to advocate for policy adjustments that will attract investment and enhance Zimbabwe’s position in global markets,” said the council.
