Focus should be on farming preps

the climate experts in shaping the next agriculture season and efforts for disaster management. The planning should include all facets of life ranging from the water harvesting, cropping, animal husbandry and disaster management and there is no reason why the country should be caught unawares.
Seed selection is also very important as highbreed seed is now grouped in terms of rainfall requirements that dictate the length of the season. The rainfall and weather conditions released under the 2011/12 rainfall should thus become the national guideline to understanding the weather phenomenon that will characterise the wet season.

According to the weather experts, the first half of the season covering October to December is expected to have normal rains with a bias towards below normal rains. This means Zimbabwe is unlikely to experience floods in most parts of the country meaning focus should be on crops that require less rainfall in the beginning of the season.
But that does not however, mean that disaster preparedness mechanisms are not activated as there are chances that parts of the country are likely to experience heavy rains.

In areas that are to get normal rainfall farmers need to planting in time and come up moisture conservation mechanisms to ensure that during the period in question crops do not suffer from moisture stress or water logging.
Those areas to experience below normal rainfall should therefore engage in early planting and conservation mechanism to ensure that they keep the moisture for the good of the crop.

The important this is that varieties have since been developed to coincide with the length and variances in the rainfall patterns in different parts of the country.
This is critical in ensuring that the country can feed itself or gets the best of the season than in the previous years. The second part of the season spanning from January to March, region one and two are likely to be characterised by normal to above normal rains. During the period the country is also expected to experience string of tropical cyclones. Such adverse weather patterns require proper fore planning to ensure that the effects of the weather do not lead to death and massive destruction of property. Regions 1 and 2 include Harare, much of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West,

Matabeleland North Mashonaland Central, northeastern parts of Midlands and most of Manicaland. Such weather requires disaster-mitigating organisations to ensure minimal crop destruction.
Regions 3 and 4 that include Matabeleland South, Masvingo, Midlands and the extreme southern parts of Manicaland and Mashonaland East, normal rains are expected but irrigation is important to avert disasters as well growing of short variety and drought resistance crops.
Areas in Region 5, which in most cases receive below normal rainfall and are unsuitable for proper crop production, should focus on animal production.

According to grain marketing board, the country has enough reserve stock that can be move to areas of need. But able-bodied people in low rainfall areas should have income to purchase the grain while handouts and food for work programmes are left to elderly, disadvantaged and child head families.
This would lessen the burden on cash strapped Government that is trying to keep all sectors of the economy running. The money that was meant for purchase of food would be channelled to other areas of need such as health and education.

Because weather forecast, like rainfall forecasts, are made by collecting quantitative data about the current state of the atmosphere and using scientific understanding of atmospheric processes to project how the atmosphere will evolve, they are likely to provide the best foresight into future weather conditions.
Previous rainfall prediction in the country have shown that the Sadc Narcof 14 is usually right on the mark and tallies other international prediction in rainfall pattern on the region.

Experts say today agriculture is highly dependant on the vagaries of weather hence the need to understand if not tame any abnormalities in weather patterns during the season, such as delays in rainfall onset, excessive rains and mid season drought can be disastrous.
These have a bearing on both crops production and human lives as that may very seriously affect the growth and final yield of the crops and the possibilities of hunger. They said analysis of the existing data worldwide indicates that at least 50 percent of the variability of crop yields is related to weather patterns. By adhering to prediction patterns crop losses can be reduced substantially reducing the vulnerability of a population or country. These seasonal rainfall forecasts can be used in conjunction with short term focus provide by the meteorological services department on the actual and expected weather on the various day-to-day farming operations.

The seasonal forecast can also help to help in the management of prevalence of pests and diseases and their immediate impact of such weather patterns on crops. In as much as the weather experts already planning cloud seeding, those in disaster management such as the national early warning unit, the civil protection unit and other non-governmental organisation in the same area, need to be on alert to avoid to deal with disasters when they arise.

With high risk weather becoming more frequent in the region and the country, it is critical that Zimbabwe adhere to these predictions. This would ensure authorities do not run from one office to another in search of ideas when people and property is being destroyed.
National Early Warning Unit agronomist Miss Tambu Pasipandodya said the season looked good, although this largely depended on dates of the onset of the rains. Miss Pasipandodya cannot be more than right as events in other countries have shown that forward planning is the key to getting the best of the predictions and the coming season.

Planning should also be done in collaboration with other regional organisations as the country shares its rivers’ catchment with majority of the country in Sadc. This means heavy rains or drought in country like Namibia, DRC and Angola will affect the Zambezi River flow leading to either flooding or failed irrigation. The same can be said for forecast for weather conditions Botswana and South

Africa as it can spell doom or life for people living along the Limpopo River and its tributaries.
Advances in technology that has enabled the globe to predict the future should never remain the preserve of the scientist but its high time that is should be made accessible to ordinary people for their benefit.

As they say to be forewarned is to be forearmed, the country has got the armoury to at least understand the forthcoming weather, lets use it to defend ourselves.