Government has translated national rainfall forecasts into localised agricultural advisories to help farmers make informed decisions on planting dates and respond effectively to expected normal to below-normal rainfall during the coming agricultural season.
Speaking in an interview, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said Government was preparing farmers to manage the anticipated weather conditions rather than treating the forecast as a disaster.
“First, we must understand the phenomenon itself. A forecast of normal to below-normal rainfall is not a disaster. What it means is that we must prepare to respond to these reports and to the conditions as the season unfolds,” Prof Jiri said.
He said accurate information on planting dates and the likely characteristics of the season would be critical to minimising the impact of unfavourable rainfall patterns on agricultural production.
“What is critical for farmers is to know the correct planting dates and the expected nature of the season,” he said.
Prof Jiri said the national rainfall outlook could not be applied uniformly across Zimbabwe because climatic conditions differed from one locality to another.
“It is also important to note that even with an El Niño forecast indicating normal to below-normal rainfall, the country is not homogeneous. It will not be affected uniformly,” he said.
He said understanding local variations in rainfall distribution and the timing of the onset of rains would therefore be central to agricultural planning.
“We therefore need to understand localized variations in rainfall distribution and in the onset of rains. This is what is most critical for our farmers,” Prof Jiri said.
He said the Ministry had consequently worked to translate meteorological information into practical advice that farmers could use in planning their agricultural activities.
“As such, we have downscaled the meteorological predictions into agricultural advisories that will now advise the farmers,” Prof Jiri said.
The advisories are expected to assist farmers in determining when to plant based on the onset of effective rains in their particular areas, rather than relying solely on broad national forecasts.
Government’s approach comes as Zimbabwe continues to strengthen climate-smart agricultural planning in response to increasingly variable rainfall patterns and the potential effects of El Niño-related weather conditions.
