HARARE - Zimbabwe has started blueberry exports to China, an industry ​body ⁠said on Tuesday, after the two countries ‌agreed a protocol on phytosanitary standards last September.

The southern ​African country, whose climatic conditions have allowed its production of ​blueberries to ​increase at one of the fastest rates globally, is seeking to capitalise on ⁠booming demand for the fruit linked to health benefits. It is also one of the 53 African countries with free access to China's ​vast ‌market under Beijing's ⁠zero-tariff policy ⁠that took effect on May 1.

"Now, work shifts to ​scaling production and testing ‌the best supply routes to ⁠this huge new market," the Horticultural Development Council said in a statement announcing the first shipment. It did not disclose its size.

Zimbabwe, Africa's third-largest blueberry producer after Morocco and South Africa, expects to export 12,000 metric tons of blueberries from about 850 hectares ‌in 2026, from 9,500 tons planted on 650 ⁠hectares the previous year, according ​to HDC data.

The country's main blueberry export markets are the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Spain, South ​Africa, Hong ‌Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United ⁠Arab Emirates.