Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter
The Government has established 914 ward drought mitigation centres in rural areas to provide reliable markets, timely information and fair price negotiations for crops and livestock.
The centres are designed to secure stronger returns for growers and protect them from surrendering valuable livestock to opportunistic buyers and exploitative middlemen.
These interventions anchor President Mnangagwa’s broader strategy to contain the adverse weather pattern forecast by the Meteorological Services Department.
Briefing journalists after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda confirmed that 914 centres were now operational across the country’s 1 527 rural wards.
Cabinet had earlier reviewed an update on the 2026/27 Summer Plan—incorporating the Drought Mitigation Plan—presented by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka.
To buffer potential harvest shortfalls, Government will also build a 600 000-tonne grain reserve by October next year, leveraging new artificial intelligence-powered silos.
“As at 9 November, the Grain Marketing Board held a total of 365 688 tonnes of grain in the strategic grain reserve,” said Dr Soda.
“The Agricultural and Rural Development Agency, as the food security agent, has contributed over 90 percent of the strategic grain reserve intake.”
Dr Soda outlined additional measures to cushion citizens and livestock from subdued rainfall.
“Under the Livestock Drought Mitigation Pillar, a total of 2 248 498 cattle will be at risk because of the drought, constituting 38,9 percent of the total cattle population of 5 750 439.
“The Presidential Gratitude Grain Collection initiative of kilogrammes per household contribution now stands at 8 678 tonnes, 19 percent above last year. To date, Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots stand at 14 971 621, being 93,3 percent of target,” said Dr Soda.
Responding to questions, Dr Masuka explained that centralising sales at ward mitigation centres prevents household-level exploitation and drives up livestock prices.
“This is because everyone will come to the ward drought mitigation centre to sell their cattle, and the buyers will be in one place. You no longer have sales taking place at households in villages, but at designated points on designated days,” said Dr Masuka.
He added that each centre will feature a village board to operationalise a Village Business Unit.
“That is the programme that we are accelerating now, and that is where we have the 914 wards. It will have a village business unit, it will have washing line water for the villages, a feeding trough for cattle and a spray race for cattle so that should there be no water in the deep tanks, we will use this facility for dipping cattle,” he said.
“It will also have a small area where marketing of cattle will take place.”
Alongside the ward centres, Government has rolled out irrigation infrastructure expansion and fertiliser import support to safeguard food security during the dry spell.
