Zimbabwean farmers have been urged to prepare for the 2026/27 summer cropping season through climate-smart farming practices, with Government assuring the nation that comprehensive measures are already in place to minimise the impact of any adverse weather conditions.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said there was no need for panic despite forecasts pointing to a possible El Niño event, stressing that preparedness remained the country’s best response.
In an interview, Prof Jiri said seasonal weather forecasts should guide planning rather than create fear among farmers.
“These weather patterns come and go. Even when there is a prediction of an El Niño, it doesn’t mean it will happen exactly as predicted,” he said.
Prof Jiri said Government had already activated preparedness plans covering crop production, livestock management and key agricultural production enablers ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meteorological outlook meetings scheduled for August.
“We are fully prepared and we are planning fully for whichever outcome of the SADC meetings which will come in August,” he said.
He urged farmers to plant shorter-season and drought-tolerant crop varieties suited to their respective agroecological regions while encouraging livestock producers to begin stockpiling hay and supplementary feed before the onset of the rainy season.
Prof Jiri also encouraged farmers to consider agricultural insurance to cushion themselves against weather-related losses, adding that Government was strengthening production enablers, including input supply systems, water infrastructure and cloud-seeding programmes.
Global weather models indicate a 90 percent probability of an El Niño event developing during the 2026/27 summer cropping season, with forecasts suggesting conditions could be drier than those experienced during the 2025/26 season. However, the regional seasonal forecast from the SADC Meteorological Services Centre, expected in August, will provide a clearer outlook for Southern Africa.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has announced that Zimbabwe’s 2026 winter cropping programme has exceeded its production target, providing a positive outlook for the agricultural sector as preparations for the summer season gather momentum.
