Zimbabwean farmers prepare for El Niño drought with climate-smart farming

Farmers in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, are preparing for the 2026/27 summer cropping season by creating conservation agriculture plots to combat expected low rainfall and high temperatures.

The Zimbabwean government has begun distributing agricultural inputs to Grain Marketing Board depots across the province. These supplies include specific seed varieties, fertilizers, and chemicals to help households manage a season potentially impacted by Super El Niño conditions.

Officials are currently rolling out these materials to districts including Mutasa and Chipinge to ensure residents can access free inputs near their homes. To date, 465,683 households have prepared nearly 1.5 million Pfumvudza plots. This progress represents approximately 174,352 hectares of land under climate-smart conservation agriculture. While these figures show steady progress, provincial authorities are urging farmers to be realistic about their land use.

Experts advise those without irrigation to focus on moisture-sufficient areas and avoid overextending cultivation into drier zones. Agricultural advisors are encouraging farmers to prioritize drought-tolerant crops like sorghum, pearl millet, and cowpeas. They recommend reserving maize for areas with reliable water sources. The government also plans to expand irrigation, such as the 400-hectare Mwerahari-Nyashanu Irrigation Scheme, to reduce the agricultural sector's dependence on unpredictable rainfall.