Govt develops 305 000ha irrigation land to mitigate El Niño

Theseus Mauruki Shambare

Zimbabwe has developed 305 121 hectares of irrigation land – adding 67 000 hectares this year alone – as the Government intensifies efforts to safeguard food production against El Niño threats during the 2026/27 agricultural season.

The irrigation expansion, which the Government says is the fastest recorded since 1980, comes as authorities step up climate-smart interventions and urge farmers in drought-prone areas to prioritise traditional grains over long-season maize varieties.

In an interview, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the Government had identified 112 000 hectares for maize production under irrigation this season, with the potential to produce approximately 550 000 tonnes of grain.

“This year alone we have done 67 000 hectares, the fastest in terms of irrigation development since 1980.

“Government identified 112 000 hectares as available for maize irrigation this year, capable of producing somewhere in the region of 550 000 metric tonnes,” he said.

Dr Masuka said Zimbabwe was targeting 1,26 million tonnes of cereals during the drought-threatened season, with irrigation development and other climate-smart interventions expected to sustain agricultural production.

The Meteorological Services Department has forecast below-normal rainfall across the country, prompting the Government to intensify preparations under its six-pillar agricultural strategy, which prioritises climate-smart production.

At household level, the Government is targeting one million hectares under Pfumvudza/Intwasa, translating to 16 million plots, with three million rural beneficiaries expected to participate. Each beneficiary is expected to establish at least three plots while adhering to conservation agriculture principles, including mulching, liming, application of organic matter and minimum soil disturbance, to qualify for Presidential inputs.

The Government has also set aside inputs for 500 000 peri-urban beneficiaries to support cultivation in available open spaces, as authorities seek to cushion urban households against potential food shortages during a drought season.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri has warned farmers in Natural Regions IV and V against planting long-season maize varieties, saying the practice could result in significant crop losses under El Niño conditions.

Natural Regions IV and V cover large parts of Matabeleland North and South, Masvingo, Midlands and southern Manicaland, where rainfall is generally low and erratic, with Region V being the country’s driest.

Professor Jiri said long-season maize varieties, which take approximately 140 days or more to mature, require sustained moisture and were therefore unsuitable for the dry conditions prevailing in these regions.

“In Natural Regions IV and V, long-season maize is a gamble even in a good year. In an El Niño year, it is a likely loss,” he said.

He urged farmers in the affected areas to prioritise traditional grains such as sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet, which are more tolerant to heat and moisture stress and mature with less water.

“Traditional grains are the way to go. They tolerate heat and dry spells, mature with less water, and have fed families in these regions for generations. Plant to your region, not to habit,” Professor Jiri said.

Farmers were also encouraged to seek guidance from agricultural extension officers when selecting suitable crop varieties and planning their planting programmes.

Dr Masuka said preparations for the 2026/27 season were more advanced than in previous years, with most maize seed already available, while traditional grains were being promoted to diversify household food production.

The interventions are part of broader efforts to strengthen agricultural resilience, sustain domestic cereal supplies and reduce Zimbabwe’s vulnerability to increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns.

Source: Govt develops 305 000ha irrigation land to mitigate El Niño – herald

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