Online Reporter
Nyasha Simbisai-Agriculture Correspondent
Government is taking its El Niño response to every district and ward through crop-suitability maps, localised planting recommendations and livestock-resource assessments.
The decentralised approach comes as farmers begin implementing strategies to mitigate the impact of a super El Niño expected during the 2026/27 summer cropping season.
Under the plan, farmers will be guided on what to grow, when to plant and how to conserve limited moisture. Authorities will identify communities where livestock are most at risk from water and feed shortages.
Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said Zimbabwe will not be affected uniformly by the forecast of normal-to-below-normal and below-normal rainfall.
“The country is not homogeneous, and we will not be affected in the same way. We are going district by district to ensure we tell farmers what to grow, when to grow and how to grow it,” he said.
Government has developed crop-suitability maps that combine the latest rainfall outlook with production data from 2024, when Zimbabwe experienced its worst drought in 43 years.
The maps will indicate which crops are most likely to produce viable yields under the conditions projected for each district, allowing for targeted advice rather than blanket national directives.
The advisory also covers farmers in Natural Region 1, which typically receives around 1 000mm of rainfall annually and is now being urged to adjust cropping programmes to account for the drier outlook.
Global weather models have tracked the development of El Niño since the beginning of 2026, while regional climate experts have projected reduced rainfall across parts of Southern Africa. The Meteorological Services Department has downscaled the regional forecast to produce a detailed national outlook that informs the new district-level plans.
“This season will be drier than the previous one, and temperatures will be higher. But a prediction of below-normal rainfall is not in itself a disaster. If we know what is coming, we prepare. Farmers must not panic, they must plan,” Prof Jiri said.
In Matabeleland South, farmers are preparing fields, conserving water and stockpiling livestock feed ahead of the rains.
In Ward 17, Gwanda South, goat producer Mr Solomon Linda has fenced his fields and harvested grass before veld fires destroy it. He has converted the grass into hay bales for use when grazing becomes scarce and is collecting acacia pods, which are ground and mixed with other livestock-feed concentrates. He also installed water-storage tanks for his family and livestock.
“We know that many water bodies may dry up during the drier period, so I am conserving water for my livestock and household,” he said.
He urged farmers to destock early by selling old and unproductive animals unlikely to withstand prolonged drought conditions, and to retain manageable herd sizes.
“Supplementary feeding must start now so that livestock maintain good body condition throughout the season,” he said.
In Ward 11, Madhambuzi, Bulilima district, Ms Nobuhle Dube has dug planting holes and applied manure to her Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots ahead of the rains. She has stored hay, crop residues from the previous harvest and velvet beans to supplement livestock feed.
“We must prepare early so that when the rains come, we can plant on time and avoid a repeat of the 2024 drought situation,” she said.
Prof Jiri said every household should plant at least one Pfumvudza/Intwasa plot of drought-tolerant traditional grains such as sorghum or millet.
Farmers in natural regions III, IV and V should allocate at least two of their three plots to traditional grains, while those in regions One and Two may retain maize but should also plant small grains.
“Where maize is likely to fail, farmers must focus on traditional grains,” he said.
On the livestock front, ward-level assessments will establish herd populations, available grazing, water supplies and how long those resources are likely to last.
The data will inform targeted interventions in the most vulnerable areas.
Wheat growers have also been advised to bale straw instead of burning it. Urea treatment and other methods are being promoted to improve the nutritional value of crop residue for livestock feed during the dry months.
