Sharon Jiyamwa and Doris Mpala
THE Government has activated Zimbabwe’s sovereign drought insurance cover under the African Risk Capacity (ARC), transferring part of the financial risk of a potentially devastating dry season from Treasury to the continental risk-pooling mechanism as the country braces for possible El Niño-induced rainfall deficits.
This means Zimbabwe could receive a substantial financial payout if the anticipated drought materialises and meets conditions covered under the ARC insurance model, providing an important buffer to the Government’s response to the potential food-security shock.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said the Government had committed its contribution towards the insurance and was now covered under the continental scheme.
“The African Risk (Capacity) insurance has been activated,” said Prof Jiri.
“The Ministry of Finance has already made those approaches to the African Union to ensure that we benefit under the African Risk Capacity insurance model. So, that has been done, and our contribution has been committed by the Ministry of Finance, and we are in, which means that as a country, should the drought hit us, we are covered as a country.”
Under the ARC model, participating countries pay a premium to secure sovereign drought insurance, with payouts triggered when specified drought conditions are met based on the scheme’s risk assessment and monitoring mechanisms.
This means the cover provides the Government with access to funds when a severe drought reaches the insured threshold, allowing it to respond to the shock without relying entirely on emergency allocations from the National Budget.
Prof Jiri said any payout to Zimbabwe would depend on assessments undertaken by ARC after the agricultural season.
“We will definitely get a payout depending on the assessments that will be done at the time when the African Risk Capacity does their assessment when, you know, the season is over,” he said.
The insurance, he said, provided Zimbabwe with continental-level protection against the financial consequences of a severe drought.
Zimbabwe has previously used the ARC mechanism to cushion itself against shocks caused by drought.
The country secured drought insurance through ARC during the 2015/2016 agricultural season, when a severe El Niño-induced drought affected large parts of Southern Africa. Zimbabwe subsequently received an ARC payout to support its response to the drought.
The insurance cover comes as Zimbabwe enters a critical phase of the 2026/2027 summer cropping season, with rainfall still uneven across the country and the Government warning farmers to carefully consider planting decisions.
Prof Jiri said farmers should begin planting once they receive sufficient moisture and confirm that conditions are suitable.
“We encourage our farmers to record the rains that fall in their places. If they see the rains have fallen at least 20 millimetres in three days and the soil moisture is adequate for planting, they can proceed to plant,” he said.
Farmers should also consult agricultural extension officers before planting to assess soil moisture and obtain information on rainfall forecasts for the following three to 10 days.
This is intended to reduce the risk of crops emerging, only to be exposed to prolonged dry conditions soon afterwards.
Farmers, Prof Jiri added, should also consider climate-smart crops, particularly traditional grains such as sorghum and millet, which are generally better suited to conditions of limited rainfall.
He further urged farmers to stagger their planting rather than putting all their crops into the ground at once.
The staggered approach is intended to spread production risk in a season where rainfall patterns remain uncertain, while giving farmers opportunities to take advantage of later rainfall.
Prof Jiri said scattered rains expected towards the end of October were likely to become more widespread as the country moved into November, creating a broader planting window.
The Meteorological Services Department is forecasting a transition towards normal to below-normal rainfall conditions later in the season, particularly from late December into January.
