Gibson Mhaka Senior Features Writer
AS she bends over her small plot, carefully preparing planting holes under the Intwasa/Pfumvudza conservation farming programme, Ms Elizabeth Ncube, a farmer in Umguza District in
Matabeleland North Province, pauses, resting her hoe momentarily against the dry earth.
Each planting hole represents a promise: a potential harvest to feed her family, grain to store for leaner months and, perhaps, a little surplus to sell.
Yet, as reports of a possible El Niño-influenced season with drier-than-normal conditions filter into farming communities, the optimism that usually accompanies preparations for the summer rains is giving way to uncertainty.
For Ms Ncube, the dilemma is familiar.
She knows that delaying preparations could cost her the opportunity to plant when the rains arrive, but committing scarce resources to a crop that might fail is equally frightening.
Like many smallholder farmers whose livelihoods depend on rain-fed agriculture, she is caught between the determination to plant and the fear that the rains may not sustain her crops.
However, agricultural experts have a message for farmers like her—a warning of possible drought is not a declaration that the farming season is lost.
Rather, it is a call to prepare differently, conserve every drop of moisture, choose suitable crops and make informed decisions that can protect both harvests and livelihoods.
At a Matabeleland North Summer Cropping Plan and Drought Mitigation Strategy dissemination workshop held at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo on Tuesday, agricultural officials and stakeholders urged farmers to remain prepared while adjusting their production plans to the prevailing weather outlook.
The message was not to ignore the forecasts, but to use them as a guide.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland North, Cde Richard Moyo, represented by his office’s director of finance, administration and human resources, Mr Mbizo Moyo, said farmers needed to take the rainfall outlook seriously without surrendering hope.
“This season requires particular vigilance. The rainfall outlook indicates a risk of drier-than-normal conditions associated with El Niño-related climate variability. We must take this warning seriously without creating panic,” he said.
His remarks capture the delicate balance facing farmers: preparing for the worst while positioning themselves to take advantage of favourable conditions should the rains prove better than anticipated.
For Ms Ncube and thousands of other smallholder farmers, this means that the work taking place in fields now remains important.
Preparing planting basins, sourcing suitable seed and planning labour ahead of the rains can help farmers respond promptly when conditions become favourable.
Matabeleland North Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Ardas) provincial director Mr Sibangilizwe Dlodlo said farmers should embrace climate-smart production, particularly the Intwasa/Pfumvudza approach, which promotes precision farming and efficient use of available moisture.
“With the El Niño season, we are not sure either about the onset of the rains and the setting off of the rains, but we are also not sure about their distribution,” he said.
The uncertainty makes soil-moisture conservation particularly important.
Under conservation farming, planting basins concentrate water around crops, while mulching helps
reduce moisture loss from exposed soil.
Mr Dlodlo said farmers, particularly those working on sandy soils common in parts of the province, should cover their fields with mulch to retain moisture and improve the chances of crops surviving dry spells.
Such measures may appear modest, but when rainfall is erratic, the difference between retaining moisture and allowing it to evaporate can determine whether a crop survives.
Equally important is the choice of crops. While maize remains a staple for many households, agricultural officials are encouraging farmers in drier areas to consider traditional grains, such as sorghum and pearl millet, which generally tolerate moisture stress better than maize.
Mr Moyo said farmers should select crops suited to their agro-ecological regions rather than rely on familiar planting practices regardless of changing weather conditions.
The advice is particularly relevant in the drier areas, where low and erratic rainfall poses challenges to crop production, household food security and livestock management.
Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) 200HA Plus Club chairperson, Mr Tichaona Mapfoche, said farmers needed to align their production choices with the expected conditions, instead of treating every season as though it offered the same opportunities.
“Farmers are being advised to plant maize strictly under irrigation and shift traditional grains to dryland conditions since they are more resilient to harsh drought,” he said.
The advice does not mean farmers should abandon maize altogether. Instead, it highlights the importance of matching crops to available water and using irrigation where feasible, while reserving dryland plots for crops better suited to moisture stress.
Mr Dlodlo said irrigation development remained an important part of the province’s drought preparedness efforts, with an additional 100 hectares of irrigation infrastructure rehabilitated in Matabeleland North.
The Gwayi-Shangani Dam project also holds potential to expand irrigation and support wider economic activity, although farmers need practical, accessible water supplies to reduce their dependence on rainfall.
For households without irrigation, however, preparation must also extend beyond crop production.
Livestock remains a crucial source of wealth, food and income for many families in Matabeleland North.
When drought reduces grazing and water availability, cattle and goats can lose condition, become more vulnerable to disease and, in severe cases, die.
Mr Moyo urged farmers to conserve hay, make silage, establish fodder plots and manage water points carefully.
Early engagement with veterinary officers can also help farmers plan for deteriorating conditions before livestock losses become severe.
Mr Dlodlo said farmers were being encouraged to establish an additional plot specifically for fodder production, particularly protein-rich feed, to supplement natural grazing.
Matabeleland North is also developing drought mitigation centres to provide water for livestock.
Mr Dlodlo said 82 of the targeted 169 centres had been reached, with most already equipped with solar-powered systems.
These interventions underline a broader lesson: drought preparedness is not simply about choosing what to plant, but about protecting the entire farming livelihood.
Agricultural extension services will, therefore, be essential in helping farmers translate seasonal forecasts into practical decisions.
Mr Dlodlo said Matabeleland North had about 1 855 farmer field schools where extension officers demonstrate techniques that farmers can apply in their own fields.
Through these platforms, farmers can receive guidance on planting methods, soil-moisture conservation, crop selection, livestock feeding and other practices suited to local conditions.
Mr Mapfoche said his organisation was working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development to disseminate the Government’s Six-Pillar Drought Mitigation
Strategy and strengthen farmers’ preparedness through practical training and mentorship.
He said collaboration was necessary because individual farmers could not produce enough to meet national grain requirements on their own.
The initiative complements Government efforts to strengthen strategic grain reserves, improve agricultural input distribution and promote household food security.
For Ms Ncube, however, the immediate concern remains the soil beneath her feet and the uncertain skies above her field. The forecast may have introduced doubt, but it has not removed the value of preparation.
Her planting basins are more than holes in the ground. They represent a decision to keep working while adapting to changing conditions.
The coming season may demand difficult choices, careful use of scarce resources and a willingness to grow crops that farmers might not always prefer.
It will also require timely advice, reliable access to inputs and coordinated support from agricultural institutions.
Yet the message emerging from the Bulawayo workshop is one of cautious determination: farmers should neither dismiss the warning nor allow it to extinguish their hope.
A difficult season cannot be wished away, but its effects can be reduced through preparation, informed decisions and practical measures that conserve water, protect livestock and improve the chances of a harvest.
For farmers, the task now is to prepare wisely, remain alert to changing weather information and make every planting decision count. The rains remain uncertain, but the value of being ready is not.
