Patience Makwele
Farmers in the Zambezi region are rushing to harvest crops as floodwaters spread across fields.
They say government support has not reached them in time.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has deployed tractors to move harvested crops to higher ground in areas such as Kabbe South, Kabbe North and Sibbinda.
The ministry’s deputy director of public relations and spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the intervention has helped 14 farmers so far, with more than 50 tonnes of crops moved.
“We have loaded about 75 tonnes of maize so far,” Muyunda said.
He said the operation will continue until 17 April before it is reviewed.
Farmers say the support is limited compared to the scale of flooding.
“Water is already in the fields and some of us are still waiting. You try to harvest quickly, but the water moves faster than you,” said Nalisa Simasiku, a farmer from Kabbe South.
In several areas, farmers have started harvesting earlier than planned to avoid losing crops.
“We are just trying to save what we can. Some crops are already rotting because we cannot reach all the fields in time,” another farmer said.
The flooding comes after a season of good rains, when farmers expected better harvests.
Rising water levels have now submerged fields and cut off access routes.
The situation has worsened due to a locust outbreak that has already affected thousands of hectares.
“The spraying intervention has since been disrupted by the seasonal floods currently being experienced in the region,” Muyunda said.
Local leaders say the combined impact is increasing losses.
Community leader John Matengu said they had requested tractors and received assistance but stressed that the flooding remains a bigger problem as many fields are affected and water levels continue to rise.
He said some areas remain hard to reach, limiting the response.
Flooding has also affected grazing land. Farmers are struggling to find space for livestock.
The ministry has started sending water tanks to relocation centres and plans to provide sanitation facilities.
Communities in low-lying areas have moved to higher ground as water levels rise. Some residents say conditions at relocation sites are difficult, with limited access to clean water and sanitation.
The situation has raised concerns about the country’s readiness to respond to floods in the region.
Lawmakers have questioned whether disaster response systems have enough resources, especially at the regional level.
There are also concerns about reduced funding for disaster risk management, with calls for more support for prevention and early response.
Farmers say the losses go beyond emergency relief.
“You can be given food, but it does not replace what you planted. That field was our survival.”
However, the full impact may only be known in the coming weeks as water levels remain high and more rain is expected in some areas.
