Online Reporter
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The government has urged agricultural value-chain actors, financial institutions and farmers to adopt proactive risk management rather than panic in response to meteorological forecasts pointing to a potential El Niño event during the upcoming 2026–2027 summer cropping season.
Professor Obert Jiri, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, addressing delegates at the Harare Showgrounds during a Zimpapers agricultural preparedness summit, made these remarks this morning ahead of the forecast El Niño-induced drought season.
The summit was held under the theme “From Climate Forecast to Farmer Action: Building a Resilient, Productive and Food-Secure Zimbabwe.”
“We gather here today not out of fear, but out of a shared commitment to foresight, preparation, and national prosperity. As we look towards the 2026–2027 summer season, we are confronted with the prospect of a potential El Niño event, and potentially a big El Niño event.
“The appropriate response to this forecast is not panic, but proactive planning, informed decision-making, and coordinated risk management,” Prof Jiri said.
Clarifying the science behind climate phenomena, Prof Jiri provided historical and scientific context for the phenomenon, clarifying that while El Niño carries varying impacts globally, for Southern Africa it consistently signifies drier-than-normal conditions.
“El Niño did not start with us or this year. It started a long time ago. El Niño simply means drier-than-normal conditions for us… This distinction is foundational for our national strategy,” he stated.
