Zimbabwe has witnessed an 87 percent surge in citrus export earnings from US$654 000 in the first half of 2022 to US$1, 22 million during the corresponding period this year. Statistics availed by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that orange juice export earnings increased from US$653 615 in 2022 to US$ 1 224 868 in 2023.
Volumes surged from 1,231,411 to 1,629,146 kilograms with the average price shooting from US$0,53 to US$0,75 per kilogram. Efforts to get a comment from the Horticultural Development Council were in vain as they had not responded to our questions on the matter at the time of publishing.
Former Citrus Growers Association of Zimbabwe (CGAZ) chair John Perrott: “Most orange growers export their fruits raw without value addition but some, especially in the Beitbridge area, are value adding and selling them as juice before exporting. The Mazowe orange juicing plant is not operating now.”
Within the whole citrus product grouping, export earnings rose 20 percent from US$3,880,309 in the first half of 2022 to US$4,639,268 in 2023.
Source: thezimbabwemail.com