Gibson Mhaka gibson.mhaka@bmetro.co.zw
MATABELELAND North Province is stepping up drought preparedness through conservation farming, irrigation development and improved livestock management as Government intensifies efforts to protect agricultural production and household food security ahead of the anticipated 2026/27 El Niño season.
Matabeleland North Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Ardas) provincial director, Mr Sibangilizwe Dlodlo, said this during the recent provincial Summer Cropping Plan and Drought
Mitigation Strategy dissemination workshop held at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo.
The workshop brought together farmers from Umguza, Lupane and Tsholotsho districts, alongside agricultural stakeholders to discuss preparations for the coming summer cropping season and measures to mitigate the potential effects of drought.
Mr Dlodlo said the Government has developed a Six-Pillar Drought Mitigation Strategy to strengthen national preparedness, with particular emphasis on grain reserves, climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, livestock production, import substitution and coordinated planning.
“Government has actually come up with six pillars to address and mitigate the envisaged El Niño,” he said.
He said the first pillar focuses on strategic grain reserves with the country targeting 600 000 tonnes to strengthen its capacity to meet food requirements during shortages.
Mr Dlodlo said preparedness should extend from national and provincial reserves to household level, ensuring communities are able to withstand disruptions to food supplies.
He said the second pillar promoted climate-smart production, particularly the Intwasa/Pfumvudza conservation farming approach, which helps farmers conserve soil moisture and use agricultural inputs efficiently.
“With the El Niño season, we are not sure either about the onset of the rains and the setting off of the rains, but we are also not sure about their distribution,” he said.
Mr Dlodlo urged farmers to conserve moisture through mulching, particularly in Matabeleland North and other areas with predominantly sandy soils, which lose moisture quickly.
He said farmers should also consider irrigation to reduce dependence on rainfall, adding that the province has rehabilitated an additional 100 hectares of irrigation infrastructure.
He said the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project was another important development with the planned irrigation of 10 400 hectares along the pipeline from Lupane towards Bulawayo expected to support agricultural production and wider economic activities.
Mr Dlodlo said the dam could provide benefits beyond irrigation, including fisheries, tourism and hydroelectric power generation.
The third pillar focuses on financing and input distribution, with Government agencies, seed houses and other agricultural stakeholders expected to coordinate the timely availability of farming inputs.
He said effective planning would ensure farmers received the right inputs, in appropriate quantities, when they needed them.
Livestock production, the fourth pillar, was particularly important for Matabeleland North, where livestock re-mains a major source of livelihoods.
Mr Dlodlo said drought could reduce grazing and water availability, leaving animals vulnerable to malnutrition and disease.
He encouraged farmers to establish an additional plot dedicated to fodder production, particularly protein-rich feed to supplement natural grazing.
The province was also making progress in establishing drought mitigation centres to provide water for live-stock. Of the targeted 169 centres, 82 had been reached, with most already equipped with solar-powered systems, he said.
The fifth pillar promotes import substitution by strengthening domestic food production, while the sixth focuses on coordination, early-warning systems and capacity building.
Mr Dlodlo said agricultural extension officers had a critical role in translating weather forecasts into practical advice that farmers could use when planning planting and livestock management.
“In Matabeleland North, we have about 1 855 farmer field schools,” he said, explaining that extension officers demonstrate farming techniques that villagers can subsequently apply in their own fields.
He said strengthening extension services and coordination among agricultural institutions would help farmers make informed decisions, improve production and build resilience against drought.
Mr Dlodlo said the sixth pillar, focusing on coordination, early-warning systems and capacity building, was critical to ensuring farmers received timely weather information and practical agricultural advice to improve preparedness and strengthen resilience against drought.
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