By Brandon Moss March marks one of the most critical transition periods in the African agricultural calendar. Across the continent, this month signals a shift in seasons, market activity and farm decision-making that can shape food production outcomes for the rest of the year. From Southern Africa’s late-season crop development to East Africa’s long rains ...

Widespread flooding in southern Africa in January 2026 threatens crops and livelihoods. We look at immediate impacts, early losses, and resilient recovery steps for farmers. By Brandon Moss. Severe rainfall and flooding across parts of southern Africa have been declared a national disaster in South Africa and have affected neighbouring Mozambique and Zimbabwe — an ...

Across Southern Africa, growing human–elephant conflict is forcing communities, governments and conservation groups to rethink how people and wildlife share land. As elephants increasingly move beyond protected areas into farming zones, crop losses, damaged infrastructure and safety risks have triggered renewed calls for culling in countries such as Zimbabwe. Research shows tolerance depends largely on ...

By Brandon Moss Climate‑smart irrigation projects are being rolled out across Southern Africa this season to protect staple and high‑value crops from worsening dry spells. Programmes are prioritising solar‑driven pumps, drip and micro‑sprinkler systems and community water governance models that match water allocation to seasonal forecasts. A common design principle is modularity: irrigation units that ...

By Brandon Moss As the chill of winter recedes and the soil begins to warm, September marks a pivotal moment for growers across Southern Africa. From Lusaka to Limpopo, this is the season of renewal—when gardens, fields, and urban plots come alive with promise. Whether you’re a commercial farmer or a backyard enthusiast, now is ...

The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has issued a statement outlining the outlook for the 2025 citrus export season, projecting stable growth despite some significant challenges on the horizon. The Southern African citrus industry is expected to export a total of 171.1 million cartons of 15kg citrus during the 2025 season. This figure ...

Christian Thierfelder, Principal Scientist at CIMMYT, poses in a field that is being tested for conservation agriculture at Henderson Research Station, Harare, Zimbabwe. Credit, Busani Bafana/IPS BULAWAYO, Dec 05 (IPS) – On the dusty plains of Shamva District in Zimbabwe, Wilfred Mudavanhu’s maize field defies drought. With the El Niño-induced drought gripping several countries in ...

by Wandile Sihlobo The Southern African region continues to face climate-related challenges that place its agricultural sector and food supply at risk. The mid-summer drought of 2024 has devasted the regional maize supplies, a staple food crop for the region. So far, the focus has been on the losses farmers are experiencing, but soon, consumer pressures ...

Farmers check the growth of maize in drought-hit fields in Macheke, Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe in this March 10, 2019 photo. A severe drought has currently decimated crops leaving many people at risk of hunger. Photo / Shaun Jusa / Alamy This article was originally published on Dialogue Earth under the Creative Commons BY NC ND license. The first ...

Farmer’s family pictured on the left next to their 2022-2023 maize field in Marondera, Zimbabwe compared to current 2024 conditions on the right.© Solomon Makiwa/FEWS NET The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is teaming up with ReliefWeb to share its latest analyses, data, and resources related to the world’s most pressing food emergencies. ...