Online Reporter
Nyasha Simbisai
Agriculture Correspondent
CLIMATE forecasts and drought preparedness plans must be translated into clear, timely and practical information that reaches farmers on the ground if Zimbabwe is to effectively cushion agriculture against the anticipated El Niño conditions, Zimpapers has said.
Speaking on behalf of the Zimpapers chief executive officer, Mr William Chikoto, during the Zimbabwe high-level Whole of Value Chain Preparedness Summit today, Company Secretary Mrs Daphine Tomana said Zimbabwe has demonstrated significant preparedness ahead of the 2026/27 agricultural season, adding that it is critical to ensure that information reaches farmers and triggers action.
The summit is running under the theme, “From Climate Forecast to Farmer Action: Building a Resilient, Productive and Food-Secure Zimbabwe.”
Mrs Tomana commended Government, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development and its agencies, for strengthening seasonal forecasting, systems readiness, climate-smart technologies, financing preparedness and stakeholder coordination ahead of the anticipated El Niño season.
“Climate forecasts do not protect crops. Reports will not fill up granaries. Preparedness plans sitting in offices do not save livelihoods.
“The real impact comes when accurate, timely and actionable information reaches the farmer who must decide what crop to plant, when to plant, how to conserve moisture, how to manage water resources and how to protect livestock,” she said.
She said Government departments, the media, private sector, development partners, financial institutions and other stakeholders have a collective responsibility to ensure climate information flows consistently to communities across the country.
Mrs Tomana said Zimpapers, as an integrated media organisation with newspapers, radio, television and digital platforms, is ready to support the national climate resilience drive by taking practical information to farmers.
“We regard this not merely as a media responsibility, but as a national development responsibility,” she said.
As part of efforts to strengthen agricultural information dissemination, Zimpapers recently launched the Morning Harvest, a specialised daily agricultural newsletter providing concise agricultural briefs, market intelligence, weather-related information, policy developments and practical farming insights.
Mrs Tomana said the initiative is part of a broader drive to bridge the gap between experts and farmers and, critically, between information and action.
She challenged stakeholders attending the summit to work towards a coordinated national information dissemination strategy capable of translating every climate forecast into practical guidance and communicating preparedness measures widely.
