Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE is poised for another wet summer season after the Meteorological Services Department yesterday confirmed a strong likelihood of La Niña conditions developing for the 2025-2026 rainfall season.
This will be the second consecutive year of favourable farming conditions.
Last year’s summer cropping season began under El Niño and later transitioned into a weak La Niña phase, producing good rainfall patterns despite mixed signals.
La Niña is a natural climate phenomenon marked by cooler-than-average Pacific Ocean temperatures, which typically brings above-normal rainfall and cooler weather to much of southern Africa — the opposite of El Niño, which is linked to heat and drought.
Announcing the latest forecast at the National Climate Outlook Forum (NACOF) in Harare yesterday, MSD director Mrs Rebecca Manzou said climate experts were in agreement that the upcoming summer would be dominated by La Niña conditions, favouring widespread rainfall across the country.
“A lot of you always think of La Niña — this is what has been there,” she said.
“As the first updated system forecast after September 2025, we are happy to let you know that our climate experts, working with academia and regional partners, agree that we are heading into a La Niña phase.
“This work is collaborative and not ours alone.”
NACOF, coordinated by the MSD, brings together scientists, policymakers and farmers to interpret regional climate outlooks into national forecasts and sectoral plans.
It enables ministries of Agriculture, Water, Energy and Disaster Management to align their operations with projected weather patterns.
Mrs Manzou said most parts of Zimbabwe can expect normal-to-above-normal rainfall between November 2025 and March 2026, although early November may be slightly drier before rains intensify mid-month.
In a separate interview, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri urged farmers to use the forecast to fast-track preparations.
“The rains are now coming and increasing. Those areas that receive at least 20 mm of rainfall in 24 hours for three consecutive days can proceed to plant,” he said.
“Farmers should expedite land preparation as soils soften and seek localised advice from Agricultural Business Advisory Officers.”
Representing the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) directorate, Matabeleland North provincial director Mrs Zenzele Ndlovu described NACOF as a vital coordination platform.
“NACOF is a key platform for everyone,” she said. “We need to always remember that weather affects all sectors — from farmers to aviation. Zimbabwe is an agro-based country, and this is the backbone of our economy.”
As preparations for the 2025/2026 summer cropping season intensify under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, more than nine million plots have already been prepared nationwide.
Input distribution under the Presidential Inputs Scheme is being accelerated according to agro-ecological zones — wetter areas focusing on maize, while drier zones promote small grains such as sorghum and millet.
Commercial Farmers union (CFU) president Dr Shadreck Makombe encouraged farmers to take advantage of the positive forecast.
“This is going to be a very good season. As rains come, planting must be done in earnest. We need to believe in the MSD for updates and farmers must always stick to the advice they get from ARDAS officers,” he said.
“We also urge the MSD to decentralise and provide area-specific forecasts rather than general ones.”
Kutsaga chief executive officer Dr Frank Magama urged tobacco farmers to maintain best agronomic practices to realise the potential of improved varieties.
“With good rainfall expected, farmers should focus on proper agronomy — spacing, fertilisation and disease control — to achieve yields of 4 000kg to 5 000 kg per hectare,” he said.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Department (FARD) director Mr Milton Makumbe said they will capitalise on the favourable conditions.
“The expected wet conditions present an opportunity to scale up aquaculture. We will intensify dam and fish pond stocking to promote food and nutrition security,” he said.
The convergence of scientific forecasting, farmer readiness and Government support, experts say, reflects Zimbabwe’s growing capacity to translate climate intelligence into agricultural resilience — a key pillar in sustaining national food security.
