How Zimbabwean farmers are preparing for El Niño

“As farmers we need to plan ahead and not let the El Niño fear grip us. Do not wait for disaster, plan ahead,” Nare says.

Nare runs a mixed operation, keeping pigs, cattle, goats, broilers and indigenous chickens, while growing tomatoes, cabbages and onions.

Nare says her “real insurance” is producing her own fodder. She grows river tamarind trees, brachiaria (bread) grass, velvet beans, cowpeas, sunn hemp, juncao grass and mulberry trees, all of which she says improves milk production in her female animals.

She adds that nothing is wasted. After harvesting, she retains maize, sorghum and sunflower stalks, and groundnut shells and leaves. They are then ground and used to make stover, which is treated with urea.

“When making urea-treated stover, make sure all ingredients are weighed,” she explains. “Molasses, coarse salt and urea fertiliser are added proportionally to produce balanced feed.”

“I make 1,5t for my animals. As long as molasses are added, the animals enjoy the taste. The stover sustains cattle and maintains their body score until the next season.

Rekopantsoe Nare in her tomato field at Reena Farm in Mbalabala, Matabeleland South. The 5ha farmer says she will keep horticulture going by switching to crops that need less water as Zimbabwe expects below-normal rainfall. Ensuring that she has water reserves is her second defence against El Niño. In 2023, she dug infiltration pits to catch water run-off. The pits are currently full.

She says having a nearby dam that holds water year-round and a borehole means she does not fear having to reduce production; instead, she plans to switch to crops that require less water if necessary, something she says every farmer must consider.

“With expected little rain, farmers should consider planting drought-resistant crops such as cowpeas, sunflower and sorghum [to diversify their operations],” she advises.

While Nare is preparing for expected dry weather, Ndumiso Sibanda, a Limousin farmer in Umzingwane, Matabeleland South, saw his preparation thwarted by a veld fire earlier this year when it destroyed his cattle’s grazing.

Nonetheless, he says he is preparing for the upcoming drought by stockpiling hay, stover and chicken litter on his 100ha farm.

“All our animals are currently penned and being given a mixture of hay, stover and chicken litter at a maintenance rate. We’re constantly reviewing the amounts that we’re giving them as we continue to monitor stock levels, as well as the weather forecast,” says Sibanda.

He explains that he is expanding plantings to juncao grass under irrigation and plans to plant drought-tolerant fodder crops such as lablab and velvet beans once the rain arrives. While he has one borehole, he plans to drill another one or more to supplement the existing one, as he may need to irrigate planted pastures to boost yields.

“We’re not too worried with our current stocking rates. The size and number of our paddocks should allow enough rest periods during the growing season, however erratic it’s expected to be,” he says.

“We’re not yet intending to destock, since prices are likely to be depressed as people are worried about the expected tough season ahead.”

In the Midlands province, grain and vegetable farmer Clever Matutu, of Gweru East, says that his dam can irrigate 300ha, putting him in good stead for the coming season, despite the dry conditions.

Matutu grows maize, soya beans, potatoes and cabbages on his 150ha property, and says his dam holds enough water to last five seasons, even with back-to-back droughts.

“I would like to increase the area under maize production from 30ha to 70ha. However, land is a limitation,” he says.

He adds that rising fuel and fertiliser costs have eroded profitability and has called on the government to consider input subsidies to lower production costs.

“If this is done, it will make raw materials produced by farmers cheaper, which will lead to more affordable end products for consumers,” he says.