Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Mat South Bureau
THE Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Albert Nguluvhe, has called for a multi-stakeholder approach and heightened preparedness across all sectors to minimise livestock loss in the face of an anticipated El Niño weather phenomenon.
Following forecasts indicating a high probability of El Niño conditions, Zimbabwe has stepped up preparations for the 2026/27 agricultural season, with authorities urging farmers to prepare early while avoiding panic as scientists continue to monitor evolving climate conditions.
Minister Nguluvhe said the interventions being rolled out by Government in the province, including the delivery of tractors and hay balers, would go a long way towards strengthening preparedness and resilience.
He urged farmers to make use of available resources and adopt climate-smart agricultural practices to safeguard livestock and crop production.
“Mat’land South province is highly vulnerable to the predicted El Niño-induced drought this coming season. As such, the province may experience delayed onset of rains, prolonged mid-season dry spells, and early cessation, leading to widespread crop failure, poor pasture, and livestock deaths resulting in reduced household food production, and increased food insecurity among smallholder farmers,” he said.
Minister Nguluvhe also appealed to households from the province to climate-proof their crops and have food reserves for their families and animals.
He said farmer are encouraged to plant drought tolerant crops like sorghum, millet and cow-peas, as well as practice conservation agriculture, which encompasses rainwater harvesting and small irrigation schemes.
“In this pursuit, the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with other organisations is also con-ducting early warning dissemination, livestock destocking, fodder preservation and building re-silience.
“We need to collaborate as various players and empower each other so that we don’t only end hunger at household level but we join multitudes in developing our beloved country Zimbabwe and bring it back to its bread basket status and glory,” he said.
The Agricultural Development and Advisory Services (ADAS) department in Matabeleland South has also intensified efforts to ensure that farmers from the drought prone area focus on produc-ing traditional grains during the 2026/27 summer cropping season.
Farmers are being encouraged to adopt short-season and drought-tolerant crop varieties, as well as traditional grains capable of maturing within uncertain rainfall periods.
Matabeleland South provincial Agricultural Development and Advisory Services (ADAS) director Mrs Shupikai Sibanda said while the adoption of traditional grains by farmers in the province has
improved some were still lagging behind necessitating constant engagement.
She said other strategies being implemented include ensuring water security. Mrs Sibanda said water security in the province is not only crucial for human consumption but livestock survival. She said farmers have also been urged to destock.
Mrs Sibanda said drought mitigation task teams have been created from ward level up to the provincial level. She said these teams are designed to transition communities from reactive cri-sis management to proactive long term drought resilience. The teams are also responsible for resource mobilisation. Mrs Sibanda said farmers have also been encouraged to upscale fodder production while they will be supported with inputs.
“Hay baling is ongoing across the province and to date we have over 300 000 hay bales out of a target of 700 000 hay bales. We are also going to harvest wheat strews in every irrigation scheme to add to our stock pile,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said silage production is also underway in the province while trainings have been done on chopping and bagging maize stover and crop residues.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Management Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri is on record saying although leading global weather models indicate about a 90 per-cent probability of an El Niño developing, Government has already activated comprehensive measures to safeguard crop and livestock production and protect national food security.
This comes as the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) said international climate fore-casting centres are projecting an 88 to 94 percent probability of an El Niño event developing during the 2026/27 rainy season.
Historically, El Niño has carried a 65 percent chance of below-normal rainfall in Zimbabwe, alt-hough the department cautions that the current projections remain preliminary.
