US$10m AfDB Grant to Boost Zimbabwe Agriculture

Online Reporter Herald 

May 23, 2025

Africa Moyo

Deputy National Editor

The African Development Bank Group has approved a US$10,12 million grant from its African Development Fund to enhance sustainable agricultural production and strengthen rural resilience in drought-prone regions of Zimbabwe.

The funding is expected to benefit 7 000 livestock farmers and 42 000 smallholder crop farmers.

The African Development Fund is the AfDB’s concessional lending arm

The Zimbabwe Agricultural Value Chain and Livelihoods Enhancement Project (AVCLEP) aims to improve sustainable crop and livestock production, enhance market access for agricultural products, and strengthen value chain integration for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector.

Funding will be availed to farmers in the three provinces of Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Bulawayo Metropolitan.

Target areas are those with significant livestock populations vulnerable to harsh weather. Zimbabwe is facing some economic headwinds, along with the adverse effects of climate change, including floods, droughts and tropical storms, which impact rural communities the most.

“This investment represents a critical intervention to build climate resilience and improve food security in Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable agricultural communities,” said Ms Moono Mupotola, deputy director general for Southern Africa and country manager for Zimbabwe.

“By rehabilitating existing infrastructure and introducing climate-smart agricultural practices, the project will transform livelihoods in areas that have historically suffered from drought and limited access to water resources.”

The project emphasises climate-smart agricultural productivity and value chain enhancement.

It includes rehabilitating dip tanks and developing solar-powered boreholes. It also supports crop-livestock value chains to improve food and nutrition security.

In addition, it aims to build rural livelihoods and resilience through integrated land use planning, landscape restoration and catchment management to enhance water security.

The project will enhance capacity building, social inclusion and knowledge management to promote technical skills, gender equality and youth empowerment.

The AVCLEP project will directly benefit 7 000 livestock  farmers and 42 000 smallholder farmers, with 50 percent being women and 20 percent youth.

Approximately 90 000 community members will also benefit from improved water supply, veterinary services and livelihoods programmes.

Implementation is set to begin next month, with completion set for December 2029.

The project is expected to create 200 full-time and 2 800 seasonal jobs with household income forecast to rise from US$85 to US$120 monthly.

“This project will enhance adaptive capacity, promote sustainable economic opportunities and strengthen the resilience of rural communities to climate change,” said Mr Martin Fregene, director of the AfDB’s Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department.

The AVCLEP project highlights the Government’s commitment to improving agricultural productivity while mitigating climate impacts.