Across Africa, farmers are entering the 2026 planting season with increasing caution as climate variability continues to disrupt traditional agricultural calendars. Erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and rising temperatures are forcing producers to rethink crop selection, planting times, and input use.

In East and Southern Africa, delayed rains have already affected early land preparation, while parts of West Africa are experiencing unusually intense rainfall events. Agronomists report a growing shift toward drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum, millet, cowpeas, and cassava, particularly among smallholder farmers seeking to reduce climate risk.

Governments and development partners are responding by expanding access to climate-smart seed varieties, weather advisory services, and index-based insurance. However, experts caution that without stronger investment in irrigation, soil management, and extension services, climate shocks will continue to undermine productivity.

As climate uncertainty becomes the new norm, resilience—rather than yield maximisation alone—is emerging as the defining priority for African agriculture.