Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare and Nyasha Simbisai
MORE than 100 Government directors from districts across the country, head-office officials, private sector players and farmers’ unions are gathered in Harare for an indaba to review Zimbabwe’s preparedness for the forecast Super El Niño.
The ongoing high-level meeting, convened by the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, is seeking to strengthen coordination among key players ahead of the 2026/27 summer cropping season.
The indaba is providing a platform for Government departments, farmers’ representatives and private sector players to interrogate the risks posed by the forecast weather phenomenon and agree on coordinated responses.
The meeting comes after the Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-33) forecast below-normal rainfall in several parts of the region, raising concerns over agricultural production, water availability and livestock survival during the coming season.
Speaking on the sidelines of the indaba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said the meeting was aimed at ensuring the country was adequately prepared for the anticipated weather conditions.
“Now that, after the SADC has met under SARCOF-33 and our own people from MET have also met and deciphered the SARCOF-33 report in terms of the El Niño, and we now understand that Zimbabwe will receive below-normal rainfall largely, we know that it will be difficult to produce our crops and to, of course, keep our livestock for that long,” he said.
He said the latest climate information required the country to bring together all relevant players to assess the situation and strengthen preparedness.
“We have come up with our response strategy, which we are mainstreaming across the country,” Prof Jiri said.
He said the indaba was expected to examine the different areas requiring attention and ensure that the national response was understood and implemented by stakeholders at different levels.
“The response strategy is essentially premised on six pillars which respond to the national situation that we have,” he said.
Prof Jiri said the discussions would cover key areas including food security, agricultural production, financing, livestock, grain imports, early warning systems and coordination.
He said the gathering was particularly important in ensuring that information and interventions were not confined to central Government, but reached districts and farming communities across the country.
The indaba is also bringing together players outside Government, reflecting the need for a whole-of-sector response to the anticipated climatic conditions.
Farmers’ unions and private sector players are expected to contribute their perspectives on the challenges likely to confront producers, while Government departments will assess their preparedness and coordination mechanisms.
Prof Jiri said the country needed to use available climate information to strengthen planning rather than wait for the effects of the weather phenomenon to become apparent.
“This is why we emphasise agro-ecological tailoring,” he said.
He said rainfall patterns would not necessarily be uniform across the country, making local-level planning an important component of the national response.
The discussions are expected to help the Government and its partners identify gaps in preparedness, strengthen coordination between institutions and agree on actions to be implemented ahead of and during the 2026/27 agricultural season.
The meeting is being held against the background of growing regional concern over the potential impact of the forecast Super El Niño, which could bring below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures in parts of Southern Africa.
For Zimbabwe, the agricultural sector is particularly exposed because rainfall variability can affect crop establishment, yields, livestock condition and water availability.
The indaba is expected to conclude with agreed actions, responsibilities and implementation priorities for the different stakeholders as Government moves to strengthen national preparedness for the coming season.
