Under former president Robert Mugabe, authorities carried out often violent seizures of white-owned farms in a bid to address what they called injustices during British colonial rule, slashing exports of $60 million of cut flowers to next to nothing.
Zimbabwe, which used to be second largest exporter after Kenya, is looking to regain its place in the sun.
Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement deputy minister Davis Marapira said Zimbabwe was looking at boosting cut flower production and potentially generate $200 million by 2023.
“We are coming up with a comprehensive policy that should outline these targets and how we intend to achieve them,” Marapira was quoted by Farmers Voice.
He said the cut flowers; mainly roses would be targeted for the European markets. Zimbabwe’s traditional main flower producing areas were Banket, Concession, Glendale, Bindura, Harare, Goromonzi, Trelawney, and Kwekwe, growing mainly roses.
In 2015, the flower export plummeted to $3,2 million.