Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe
Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) is setting up a US$50 million horticulture investment fund to climate-proof one of Zimbabwe’s major sources of export earnings.
The initiative comes as horticulture has become a vital component of Zimbabwe’s export earnings, significantly contributing to foreign currency inflows through in-demand products like citrus, blueberries, avocados, and flowers in European, Asian, and regional markets.
IDBZ said the facility will strengthen Zimbabwe’s high-value export chains against rising threats from climate change, which has increasingly disrupted production cycles, impacted yields and increased vulnerability among producers.
“In terms of climate finance initiatives, the bank is developing the US$50 million Horticulture Investment Fund for Enhanced Climate Resilience (HIFECR),” IDBZ acting chief executive Mr Willing Zvirevo said in a statement accompanying the bank’s financial results for the year to December 31, 2025.
“The facility, which will blend concessional resources from the Green Climate Fund with co-financing from other Development Partners, public sources and the private sector, seeks to strengthen resilience in high-value export chains including coffee, citrus, avocado, berries, and fresh produce.”
