This is the main foreign exchange earner. Cattle rearing is one of the country s foremost economic activities. Major export commodities are tobacco and horticulture. Smaller crops like sugar, tea, coffee, cotton, seeds, maize, small grains and oilseeds are also exported as well as livestock, dairy products, wildlife and poultry meat. The horticultural sector continues to expand, producing flowers, fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices, essential oils and tree nuts for export.
Beef production is an important activity.
The gold belts are also the source of Zimbabwe s nickel, asbestos, iron ore and pyrites production and contain reserves of antimony, tungsten, corundum and limestone. The world s third-largest known source of high grade chromite. Second largest source of platinum group metals and significant reserves of nickel. Coal is one of Zimbabwe s primary energy sources. The copper and graphite mines are situated in the Makonde basin.