Listen Ndlovu
The Government has activated coordinated cloud seeding measures as erratic February rainfall unsettles farmers, particularly those with late-planted crops at critical growth stages.
The issue was raised in the National Assembly, where a legislator asked Government to clarify its position on cloud seeding and outline what interventions are being implemented in response to uneven rainfall patterns.
Responding in Parliament, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Settlement, Anxious Masuka, said Cabinet has established an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate cloud seeding activities across Government departments and private operators.
“The Government and Cabinet established an Inter-Ministerial Committee to coordinate Government activities and the activities of all players wishing to participate in cloud seeding,” Masuka said.
He said the committee has identified operators with aircraft and technical platforms required to carry out the programme, drawing from both State institutions and private sector players, including the Defence Forces and RIDA.
“In our series of meetings, we identified the actors, those that have platforms or aeroplanes to undertake the work primarily in the private sector and within Government, Defence Forces and RIDA,” he said.
Masuka confirmed that silver iodide, the chemical used in cloud seeding, is available.
The committee has also engaged the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Director of the Meteorological Services Department, who advised that seeding operations would target areas that have not received adequate rainfall.
“They will be able to utilise the current cloud band to seed in areas where we have not received sufficient rainfall,” Masuka said.
However, he cautioned that cloud seeding depends on the availability of suitable rain-bearing clouds.
Rainfall distribution remains uneven across Zimbabwe, with some districts recording heavy downpours while others continue to experience low precipitation. Such variability affects crop yields, water supplies and national food security prospects.
Cloud seeding has previously been deployed in Zimbabwe during drought-prone seasons as a supplementary rainfall enhancement measure.
