Walter Nyamukondiwa in KADOMA
GOVERNMENT’S six-pillar drought mitigation plan, approved by Cabinet this week, is robust enough to safeguard human food security and livestock from the effects of a forecast super El Niño expected to bring below-normal rainfall to Zimbabwe and the region.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka gave the assurance as he led a coordination meeting with Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution from Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Masvingo in Kadoma yesterday, aimed at cascading the plan to the provinces ahead of the 2026-2027 summer season.
“The planning is robust, and we have a very good response plan to ensure that we produce enough. We have a strategic grain reserve, and if that fails, we’ll have some imports,” Cde Masuka said, urging farmers not to panic despite the below-normal rainfall outlook issued by the Ministry of Environment, Cimate and Wildlife
The plan, built on lessons from the 2024-2025 season when the country experienced its worst drought since independence, targeted national cereal production of 1,6 million tonnes and comprised six interconnected pillars: an enhanced strategic grain reserve, accelerated climate-smart production, an integrated financing architecture, livestock drought mitigation, enhanced imports and coordination, and early-warning and capacity-building systems.
On safeguarding livestock, Dr Masuka said the plan sought to track cattle at risk ward by ward and mobilise feed and water in time to avert distress sales and losses. At the same time, an expanded import allowance for both households and the private sector would guard against hunger.
“They must see business in our hunger, but not profit here from our hunger,” he said, referring to the role of private importers under the plan.
He said the coordination drive would cascade from national to provincial, district and ward level, anchored by a WhatsApp platform linking President Mnangagwa directly to the country’s 35 000 village heads, about 300 chiefs and up to 700 headmen to ensure implementation was monitored down to the grassroots.
The Kadoma meeting, which brought together the three provinces to align efforts on the ground, later turned into a closed-door session, with journalists excluded from the remainder of proceedings.
In her welcome remarks, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo described the province as the country’s breadbasket, saying it was endowed with vast water bodies and prime agricultural land capable of both crop and livestock production for domestic needs and export to the region.
“The province has resources to produce and even export to the SADC region,” she said.
Cde Chombo said Mashonaland West had already mobilised 1 723 tonnes towards the strategic grain reserve and prepared 283 291 Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots, equivalent to 17 677 hectares, ahead of the coming season. She said 86 of a targeted 156 drought mitigation centres had been established, with vaccine shortages still affecting the livestock pillar, although cattle dipping was ongoing and disease incidence had fallen owing to improved acaricide availability.
Also in attendance were Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister of State Ezra Chadzamira and his Mashonaland East counterpart Itai Ndudzo.
Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos, permanent secretaries and chairpersons of the six pillars are attending the meeting.
Source: Drought mitigation plan hailed – herald
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