The Sunday Mail
The Harare Agricultural Show which is slated for August 24 to 29 has been applauded for retaining its original agricultural flair and farmers have been urged to attend and showcase their products and services at its 105th edition.
Zimbabwe Agriculture Show Society workers clearing the grounds in preparation of this year’s Harare Agriculture show – Picture by Kudakwashe Hunda
The event is running under the theme ‘Enhancing Agricultural Productivity: Managing Climate Change’.
Focus will be on climate change that has negatively affected the agricultural sector.
“In the last few years, the Harare Agricultural Show had lost its original agricultural flair. For many years, the exhibition of agricultural produce had dwindled and the livestock section was temporarily closed. Entertainment was now dominating the show. However, I can confidently conclude that this year, we are going to have a proper agricultural show,” said Mr Wonder Chabikwa, the president of the Commercial Farmers Union of Zimbabwe.
Mr Chabikwa applauded the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) for sticking to its mandate of exhibiting agricultural produce.
In the past, the ZAS has been accused of straying from its original mandate.
The exhibition of agriculture produce and the livestock section are the foundation pillars of this agricultural showcase which dates back to 1895.
Mr Chabikwa said those farmers that will not attend will be left behind in terms of learning new technological advances.
“Those farmers that will not attend will definitely miss a lot. On show will be new types of irrigation systems, pumps, seed varieties, pigs and breeds of cattle – both beef and dairy. New farming machinery will also be unveiled to the market,” Mr Chabikwa said.
According to Mr Chabikwa, there has been an increase in the number of foreign companies that are interested in doing business with local farmers.
Zimbabwe Agricultural Show Society public relations officer, Ms Heather Madombwe, said 340 exhibitors had registered as of Thursday last week, compared to the 398 exhibitors during the same period last year.
The show is a platform for local, regional and international exhibitors involved in different forms of agriculture to showcase their products and services to potential buyers.
Among some of the show’s major highlights is the Zimbabwe Annual National Agri-business Conference, a joint initiative between the ZAS and the National Economic Consultative Forum (NECF).
The opening day has been set aside as a traders’ day.
Seminars and group discussions on different agricultural topics such as conservation tillage, climate mitigation, horticulture and animal production, among others will also be conducted.
This year, ZAS introduced three new sections to the show namely the agri-produce, livestock, home industries, arena events and the youth sections.
