Zimbabwe: Arda Grain Deliveries Top 248 000 Tonnes As Zimbabwe Braces for El Niño Drought

What the report says

Zimbabwe’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) says it has delivered more than 248,000 tonnes of grain to the Grain Marketing Board as the country prepares for a possible El Niño-driven drought. The figures cited in the 263Chat report, distributed by AllAfrica, include about 187,704 metric tonnes of summer cereals and 60,529.3 tonnes of winter wheat. A portion of the cereals, 31,293.46 tonnes, was reportedly set aside for immediate milling and to help stabilise prices.

The report says the wheat harvest is still under way, with some grain still on farms awaiting bagging and grading. ARDA also outlined a 2026/27 summer production plan targeting 100,000 hectares across its estates, joint ventures, irrigation schemes and clustered smallholder growers. Of that area, 60,000 hectares would be irrigated, while 40,000 hectares would use climate-smart varieties.

The article places the deliveries in the wider context of Zimbabwe’s food-security planning ahead of below-normal rainfall forecasts. Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka said the government is strengthening grain reserves and other drought-response measures, while Permanent Secretary Obert Jiri urged farmers not to panic and to use seasonal forecasts and local conditions to guide planting. In general, the report shows how authorities are trying to build buffer stocks and promote climate-adapted farming before the next season.