Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Seed Co Zimbabwe, the seed giant, has rolled out a comprehensive, science-backed climate mitigation framework to insulate local farmers against the anticipated El Niño-induced dry spell during the 2026/2027 agricultural season.
The strategy was presented this morning by the Seed Co Group head of agronomy, Mrs Wendy Madzura, at the Zimpapers Agriculture Climate Resilience Summit held at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) Showgrounds.
The summit was held under the theme “Planning, Preparing, Protecting Zimbabwe’s 2026/2027 Agriculture Season”.
Addressing delegates, government officials and agricultural stakeholders, Mrs Madzura emphasised that while climate forecasts present significant risks to crop productivity, proactive farmer adaptation and agro-ecological alignment will be key to protecting yields.
Seed Co’s intervention framework centres on four strategic thrusts designed to optimise water-use efficiency, match crop genetics to localised climate reality and protect household food production.
Mrs Madzura urged farmers to adhere strictly to Natural Region recommendations.
Seed Co is promoting ultra-short to medium-duration maize hybrid varieties alongside traditional drought-tolerant small grains—such as sorghum and millet—to survive shortened rainfall windows.
Highlighting the success of conservation farming, Seed Co called for widespread adoption of soil moisture-retention practices. Techniques such as potholing, mulching and zero-tillage ensure that every drop of rainwater is effectively captured and utilised by crops.
Farmers were strongly advised to complete land preparation early and to plant with the first effective rains to maximise crop growth before seasonal dry spells set in.
Seed Co confirmed the full commercial availability of certified climate-smart seeds across its national distribution networks.
For farmers with irrigation access, Seed Co recommended staggered planting cycles and moisture monitoring to optimise water usage. In drier regions, crop diversification into drought-hardy oilseeds—such as sunflower—was highlighted as a key buffer for farmer livelihoods.
Mrs Madzura noted that Seed Co’s seed innovation and agronomic extension efforts directly complement the government’s national six-pillar drought mitigation strategy.
“Resilience starts with the right seed in the ground,” she said, reinforcing that collaborative efforts between seed producers, extension officers and media platforms such as Zimpapers are essential to translating early-warning climate information into actionable farming practices.
