Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
ZIMBABWE is looking forward to a stellar citrus industry performance this year following good rainfall during the 2025/26 summer season, irrigation water availability, power supply stability and adequate phytosanitary support.
Lemons have already been harvested and processed in packhouses for export, amid good prospects for strong volume growth, the Horticultural Development Council (HDC) has revealed. In its June horticulture update, the HDC said that soft citrus and Valencia orange harvesting would begin soon, with growers expecting a high-quality crop this year.
“Packhouses in Mvurwi, Mazowe and Dunhill have already been busy with lemons, navels and soft citrus.
“In orchards south of the country, our producers expect to pack around 160 000 cases of grapefruit and between 1 5 and 1.8 million cases of Valencia oranges, depending on export market conditions,” said HDC.
HDC said the 2025/26 had a better rainfall season, which improved the availability of irrigation water, while the electricity supply has been relatively stable and phytosanitary inspections have progressed smoothly
The HDC lamented rising costs, higher shipping rates, increased fuel prices and expensive packaging, describing them as the sector’s main challenges.
“These are squeezing profit margins, resulting in lower-grade fruit that previously found export markets now increasingly becoming uneconomic to pack,” said the HDC.
The HDC revealed earlier on its X platform that citrus harvesting and processing for export had intensified across the country’s major citrus-producing areas.
“From orchard to export market, Zimbabwean citrus is heading to the European union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia, with new markets emerging in East Africa and Eastern Europe.
“At Nottingham Estate near Beitbridge, over 1 000 people are employed, nearly half of them women,” said the HDC.
HDC said it expects to double the citrus area from the current 4 000ha to 8 000ha by 2030 – subject to an investment of US$48 million to create 24 000 new jobs.
Zimbabwe is yet to exploit the lucrative Chinese market, four years after the signing of the Zimbabwe/China citrus trade protocol.
According to the Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment 2 (CLAFA 2) report, new investments and favourable market opportunities drove growth in orange production, which is expected to rise 18 percent from 188 960 tonnes in the 2024/25 season to 222 138 tonnes in the 2025/26 season.
This follows a 10 percent increase in hectarage from 4 724ha to 5 166ha and an eight percent surge in yield from 40 to 43 tonnes per ha.
Lemon and lime output is also projected to rise 11 percent from 6 726 to 7 462 tonnes, a result of a two percent increase in area from 177ha to 182ha and an eight percent increase in yield from 38 to 41 tonnes per ha.
Meanwhile, statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) for the period January to May have indicated that earnings from citrus product exports rose 49 percent from US$2.51 million in 2025 to US$3.209 million in the comparable period this year.
In volume terms, it surged 59 percent from 9 290 to 14 783 tonnes.
Citrus product grouping comprises fresh or dried oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, including pomelos, lemons and limes, citrus fruit, unfermented frozen and unfrozen orange juice, grapefruit juices and other single fruit juices.
Grapefruit, including pomelos, was the main driver of the growth after its volume rose 205 percent from 1 260 tonnes to 3 844 tonnes, while in value terms it surged 197 percent to US$617 509 from US$208 000.
Fresh or dried oranges were the second largest contributor to the growth, with a 95 percent rise from US$287 054 to US$559 857. In volume terms, it surged 113 percent to 3 495 tonnes from 1 640 tonnes.
Lemons and limes came third after increasing 76 percent from US$660 253 to US$1 165 228, while in volume rose by 25 percent from 5 114 to 6 416 tonnes.
Unfermented and unfrozen orange juice earnings, however, dropped 14 percent to US$838 258 from US$976 887.
The country’s citrus exports have grown 93 percent from US$7.82 million in 2017 to US$15,12 million last year.
