Theseus Shambare
FARMERS have been urged to target December as the main planting window for the 2026/2027 summer cropping season, as the Government steps up efforts to cushion agricultural production against forecasts of below-normal rainfall and a potentially severe El Niño-induced drought.
The efforts include a historic expansion of irrigation infrastructure, with 67 129 hectares (ha) developed this year alone, the highest annual increase in the country’s history,
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said farmers should plant once the first effective rains of between 20 and 40 millimetres had established adequate soil moisture.
He warned against rushing into planting after isolated showers.
“Target December as the main planting window, but only once effective rains have established adequate soil moisture,” he said.
The Meteorological Services Department, Prof Jiri said, had indicated a high probability of below-normal rainfall across the country, driven by a projected super El Niño, alongside warmer-than-normal temperatures.
The October-to-December period is expected to experience below-normal rainfall and frequent dry spells, although parts of Matabeleland South and Masvingo province could receive near-normal rainfall in December.
For January to March 2027, northern and eastern parts of the country are forecast to experience normal to near-normal rainfall, while the south and west are expected to receive normal to below-normal rainfall.
Against this background, the Government has placed irrigation development and water security at the centre of its drought mitigation strategy.
“On irrigation, we have made record progress in climate-proofing, developing a total of 67 129 hectares of irrigation in 2026, the highest annual increase in our history,” he said.
The 67 129ha developed this year represent a major milestone in the country’s efforts to climate-proof agriculture, complementing an existing 308 967ha equipped for irrigation. Of the equipped area, the Government is targeting the full utilisation of existing infrastructure, while fast-tracking development on another 86 036ha already equipped near major dams and tapping into an additional 146 405ha of irrigation potential.
The country has also set a target of 119 068ha under irrigated summer field crops, with the Government promoting irrigated cereal production and working with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority to ring-fence electricity for agricultural purposes.
More than 2 000 village business units, comprising solar-powered, one-hectare irrigation hubs, have also been established to strengthen community-level agricultural production.
Prof Jiri said the irrigation expansion was part of a broader strategy to move away from reactive drought responses towards anticipatory measures that protect national food production.
Farmers are also entering the season with improved water availability, with national dam levels standing at 83,1 percent as of October 2026, compared to the historical expected average of 61,8 percent for the same period.
Tugwi-Mukosi Dam was 99,2 percent full, Mutirikwi 89 percent and Osborne 84,2 percent, while Lake Kariba had recovered to 34,6 percent from 9,7 percent during the corresponding period last year.
Tugwi-Mukosi alone has the capacity to support at least 40 000ha of agricultural production.
Under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, about 14,8 million plots had been prepared by late October, representing 92,4 percent of the 16 million target.
A total of 857 159ha had been placed under preparation through Pfumvudza/Intwasa and mechanised conservation agriculture, representing 86 percent of the one-million-hectare target, compared to 713 000ha during the previous season, added Prof Jiri.
More than 2,7 million farmers, representing 90,4 percent of the target, had prepared the minimum three plots required under the programme.
Prof Jiri said the Government had also restructured Pfumvudza/Intwasa to place more emphasis on soil health and moisture conservation, including universal liming, reduced fertiliser application and increased use of manure, compost and foliar feeds.
“At the centre is the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, our flagship climate-smart intervention, which we have restructured with 100 percent liming and a 50 percent reduction in fertiliser, complemented by manure, compost and foliar feeds.
“The logic is simple: In a dry year, the binding constraint is moisture, not nitrogen, so we are investing in soil health and water retention,” he said.
The Government is also distributing liquid lime to address soil acidity, with more than 60 percent of the country’s soils affected, alongside hydrogel, to improve water retention.
Meanwhile, 475 446 farmers had gathered mulch, while more than 640 000 infiltration pits were being dug, complemented by storm drains and contours to reduce water losses.
On fertiliser, the national requirement for basal and top-dressing stands at 780 000 tonnes, but deliveries remain below requirements, particularly for Compound D, where 13 000 tonnes had been received against a target of 60 000 tonnes.
Top-dressing fertiliser deliveries were estimated at between 40 and 50 percent of requirements.
To address the shortfalls, the Government has opened a duty-free import window for 450 000 tonnes of basal and top-dressing fertiliser.
This will allow the importation of 200 000 tonnes of basal fertiliser and 250 000 tonnes of top-dressing fertiliser for local farmers.
Treasury has also released US$10 million to clear outstanding payments and accelerate deliveries.
Prof Jiri said farmers should not delay planting while waiting for Government inputs, urging them to collect available supplies and prepare their land ahead of the rains.
