Zimbabwe is stepping up preparations for the coming rainy season by deploying aircraft, drones and satellite technology as authorities anticipate an erratic start to the rains.
The government plans to have three aircraft available for cloud-seeding operations, with the planes expected to be stationed in Masvingo, Bulawayo and Harare. Drones and ground-based weather stations will also support the programme.
The Meteorological Services Department has warned that the country could experience a delayed and uneven start to the rainy season, with some areas potentially recording little or no effective rainfall during the onset period.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said cloud seeding is part of a broader Government response to the seasonal weather forecast.
The response includes strengthening the strategic grain reserve, promoting climate-smart farming, providing financing support, preparing for livestock challenges, increasing imports where necessary and improving early-warning and coordination systems.
“And it is in this context that under pillar two, which looks at climate-smart production, we are looking at enhancement and augmentation of rainfall. We just had the inter-ministerial committee meeting of the cabinet committee established last year to ensure that preparedness is at the highest level,” said Minister Masuka.
Masuka said the three aircraft would be strategically positioned across the country to allow them to respond when suitable clouds develop.
The Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) has also been tasked with using the country’s two satellites to monitor weather patterns and assess the effectiveness of cloud-seeding operations.
Research conducted in the United States over several years found that cloud seeding could increase precipitation by between 5 and 15 percent under suitable conditions.
However, farmers have also been urged not to rely solely on artificial rainfall.
Zimbabwe recorded more than 640,000 tonnes of wheat in 2025, surpassing domestic requirements estimated at about 360,000 tonnes. The achievement highlighted the role of irrigation, improved seed varieties and good farming practices in maintaining production despite unreliable rainfall.
Speaking at Seed Co’s inaugural Wheat Field Day in Shamva, managing director Felistas Ndawi-Gurajena urged farmers to “make every litre of irrigation water count.”
For farmers preparing for the summer cropping season, authorities and agricultural experts are encouraging early land preparation, conservation farming practices such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, and greater use of small grains and short-season varieties.
Farmers are also being advised to prepare livestock feed and water supplies in advance.
The Government’s cloud-seeding programme is therefore being positioned as an additional tool to support agricultural production, rather than a substitute for proper planning and water management.