By Tinomudaishe Muzanenhamo
The Government is rebuilding Zimbabwe’s Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) following this season’s bumper harvest as it prepares for the possibility of an El Niño-induced drought during the 2026/27 farming season.
Speaking during a post cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka said the country’s strong cereal harvest had created an opportunity to strengthen national food security and improve preparedness for future climate shocks.
“We will in a good year be able to harvest as we have done now just over 2.6 million metric tonnes of maize, over 300,000 metric tonnes of sorghum, so collectively just above 3 million metric tonnes of cereals against our consumption of about 2.2 million of food and feed. So a very healthy surplus,” said Masuka.
He attributed the improved harvest to Government-led agricultural reforms, including sustainable conservation farming, agro-ecological crop planning, expanded irrigation, mechanisation programmes and market liberalisation policies that have encouraged greater private sector participation.
The minister said grain deliveries had risen significantly this season with more than 422 000 metric tonnes already delivered, representing a 68 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
He added that the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) had become the main supplier to the Strategic Grain Reserve under the country’s structured market liberalisation framework, contributing 91 percent of current stocks.
As of 28 July, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) held about 239,000 metric tonnes of grain. Government aims to increase reserves to 300,000 metric tonnes by the end of August before reaching 450 000 metric tonnes by the end of the year.
An additional 150 000 metric tonnes is expected from the upcoming wheat harvest.
Masuka said increasing grain reserves was a precautionary measure as weather forecasts point to a high likelihood of an El Niño event affecting Southern Africa during the next summer cropping season.
“We want to carry into 2027 about 450,000 metric tonnes, which will provide adequate cushioning should the predicted drought materialise,” he said.
He recalled that during the severe 2024 drought, Government distributed 328,000 metric tonnes of grain to about 6.5 million Zimbabweans, while a further 33,000 metric tonnes supported school feeding programmes benefiting 4.5 million learners.
According to the minister, maintaining larger grain reserves will allow the country to respond more effectively to future food emergencies.
Government is also investing in modern grain storage infrastructure, including artificial intelligence-powered silos capable of preserving grain for up to five years.
The initiative targets 1.5 million metric tonnes of storage capacity by 2030 with new facilities planned for food-deficit areas to improve emergency response during poor agricultural seasons.
Masuka said Zimbabwe’s drought preparedness strategy is built around six key pillars: strengthening national and household grain reserves, reducing post-harvest losses and food waste, promoting climate-smart agriculture, introducing a new agricultural financing model, implementing livestock drought mitigation measures, boosting exports and improving coordination, early warning systems and farmer training.
He said Government was awaiting further assessments from regional meteorological experts to determine the expected intensity of the forecast El Niño.
“We now know that there is a possibility of close to 100% of the El Niño occurring during the summer of 2026 to 2027. What we are waiting for is the South African meteorologists to be able to tell us the magnitude of that El Niño so that we can prepare accordingly,” said Masuka.
He said the focus remained on proactive planning rather than reacting to disasters, noting that the current grain surplus had placed Zimbabwe in a stronger position to protect vulnerable communities should adverse weather conditions return.
