Show Society to expand exhibition space

BUOYED by this year’s high exhibitor response, Manicaland Agricultural Show Society is considering expanding exhibition space to accommodate more participants next year.

Acting administrator for the society Ms Pedzisai Rusero told The Herald that they were running out of space for exhibitors.

“We have run out of space and some are exhibiting outside the halls,” she said. “This year we have grown bigger and better than last year. We have a total of more than 400 companies from all sectors. On Sunday when we closed we had about 380 companies who came to register and some are promising to come from as far as Bulawayo.”

Ms Rusero said the society needed more buildings because people had grasped the concept of marketing as suggested by this year’s theme: “Economic growth through collaborative effort”.

She said their future plans were to utilise the space outside the showgrounds, which is currently being used as a car park.

Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) head of public relations Mr Sugar Chagonda said the show had ended on a high note for them as people had been coming to see what they are showcasing.

“This show is also a platform where we want to tell people about ourselves. They need that information to understand how our company operates,” said Mr Chagonda.

Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) provincial marketing and communications officer Mr Daniel Maromo said this year they were providing free services to all participants of the agricultural show.

“This year we are providing free services for family planning, which include birth control pills, implanon, jadelle, IUCD (loop) and many more,” he said.

“So far 78 men have received information about family planning and we are advising people to come in their numbers as couples so that men can also get information concerning family planning methods.”

A registered general nurse, Sister Dorica Gololombe, also appealed to women to come for cervical cancer screening.

“We want more women to come because today (Sunday) we only tested eight women aged between 25 and 45,” she said. “They tested negative but we are expecting more women to be screened for the disease.”

Monitoring and evaluation officer for National Aids Council Mr Sibert Hlatywayo said they had been working in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to provide free services, which included voluntary medical male circumcision and had circumcised three men by Thursday while 10 had booked for later circumcision.

Meanwhile, one of the country’s leading seed producers, Agriseeds, has commended Government’s Command Agriculture programme describing it as success, writes our Chipinge correspondent Luthando Mapepa.

Speaking during the Chipinge Agricultural Show recently, Agriseeds director of sales and marketing Mr Ivan Craig urged famers to join such programmes to promote food security.

“Farmers should not shy away from joining Government programmes such as Command Agriculture as this is the only way to ensure food security,” he said.

“Farming is expensive today hence programmes like this can reduce the cost of farming through funding from the Government.

“Over the past two years the country has recorded an increased hectarage of maize and this is only attributed to the Command Agriculture programme and the Presidential Inputs Scheme, which is supporting both commercial and communal farmers with inputs.”

Mr Craig urged farmers to pay back loans extended to them by Government.

“To ensure continuity of Command Agriculture programme farmers should act as responsible citizens by paying back loans they received from the Government,” he said. “This will help the Government in securing more inputs and disbursing them on time for the upcoming seasons.”

Mr Craig urged the farmers to add value to their produce after harvesting to maximise profits.

“Farmers should understand the value chain so that they can make informed decisions on pricing,” he said. “This can be achieved if farmers work together and establish cooperatives, which will do follow-ups to where their crops are being sold.”

Speaking during the same occasion, Chipinge Agritex extension officer Mr Tapiwa Chagwesha said the district had embraced Command Agriculture and was doing well.

This year’s show was running under the theme: “Unlocking agro and industrial potential for economic growth in Chipinge district.”

“The district continues to break records by delivering more grain to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB),” he said. “This is because of the command agriculture programme, which saw the majority of farmers in the district receiving inputs from the Government.”

This year’s show was running under the theme: “Unlocking agro and industrial potential for economic growth in Chipinge district.”