Decoding the Skies: How Informed Choices Shape the Future of Farming in Zimbabwe

By Tatenda Macheka, WFP/Zimbabwe

Mangwe, Zimbabwe -  Annah Dube (58) looks up at the clear, blue sky, patiently waiting for the rain. By this time of the year, November into December, the crops in Mangwe District, where she lives, should be at knee level. But the residents haven’t felt a single drop, and their wilting crops are in desperate need. It’s not looking good; a dry season, El Niño, is looming.

For over a decade, Zimbabwe has faced such severe weather events – prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall patterns, and shifts in temperature patterns. Rural residents like Annah bear the brunt of these climatic changes as they affect their means of producing food.

“The rain is late this year. Many crops are not doing well. We might have a poor harvest at the end of the season,” Annah remarks.

According to the 2023 Zimbabwe Livelihood Assessment Committee’s (ZimLAC) Rural Livelihood Assessment, about 2.7 million people in rural areas are projected to be food insecure during the peak lean season, January to March, coinciding with the El Niño phenomenon.

Annah knew this was coming. She receives regular climate and weather information through the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) initiative. PICSA aims to enable farmers to make informed farming decisions based on locally relevant weather and climate information using participatory decision-making tools.

The programme supports government efforts to reduce food insecurity and enhance climate risk management. WFP and UNDP, through technical assistance from the University of Reading and financial support from the Green Climate Fund, have rolled out PICSA in 5 districts in Zimbabwe (Masvingo, Rushinga, Chipinge, Mwenezi and Mangwe).

Farmers like Annah are updated by PICSA-trained agricultural extension officers who work closely with the Meteorological Service Department (MSD) to produce and disseminate relevant climate information and advisories.

The farmers attend sessions which combine historical climate data and forecasts with their knowledge and experiences. They receive daily weather updates via WhatsApp groups and, in some areas, through community radio stations, which include call-in programmes where farmers can ask farming-related questions. All this information is used to plan which agricultural and livelihood practices to adopt.

“As we expect a long dry season, which will likely lead to drought, I was taught to plan, prepare, and adapt using the local resources I already have. El Niño is coming, and I have a plan B,” Annah said.

She explained that she decided not to sell her grain stocks from last year based on the climate information her agricultural extension worker shared.

“I’ve invested more time and effort in my garden this year as it is near river water. I also have some livestock, chickens, and goats, less likely to be affected by the dry spell. All these decisions were influenced by the knowledge we received through PICSA,” Annah shared.

In the past, farmers would have resources but lacked information to take appropriate action. These farmers, the majority of whom are women, would be affected at the end of the season when their crops failed, and their families were left short of food. The training and updates through PICSA have helped change this reality.

“The season forecast from us at the Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) is not a planting tool but a planning tool,” explained Roger Munyira, the Matabeleland South Provisional Officer.

“Our job is to provide information that helps communities mitigate food insecurity.”

Today, people like Annah have changed their outlook on the farming season. They integrate climate forecasts into their farming practices, adjust planting and harvesting schedules based on weather predictions, and positively change livelihoods.

Additionally, many have adopted climate-resilient crops like small grains and sustainable farming techniques, enhancing their adaptive capacity. Through women's groups and community networks, they share climate-smart strategies, fostering a supportive environment for collective learning and resource-sharing.

According to Winnet Mzila, District Agronomist for Mangwe, PICSA has helped community members to perceive their farming activities as a business and prepare wholly for the season.

“PICSA looks at what can be done before, during, and after the season. We have taught farmers not only to depend on crop farming but also on livestock production. Farmers were taught to practice farming as a business, things like budgeting and how much they have invested and whether they made a profit or a loss,” she shared.

PICSA is implemented as part of an integrated climate risk management project where farmers engaging in asset creation activities receive tailored climate services, access weather index insurance, access markets and financial services, and benefit from anticipatory action plans to mitigate the impacts of climate shocks.