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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has stressed the importance of farming and urged women to venture into agriculture for them to contribute meaningfully to the economy.
Speaking to journalists after touring various stands at the ongoing Harare Agricultural Show yesterday, Amai Mnangagwa said agriculture was the mainstay of the economy.
She said she was impressed by the quality of agricultural produce she saw at the show.
“Zvandaona muno, madzimai ndivo vakutotidzidzisa kuti handei tinorima nekuti ndiko kunobva economy yenyika,” she said. “Mamwe mazera andaona vatove ana gogo asi vanotoziva the importance of farming.
“Mune macompanies akawanda exhibiting vachiratidza zvavanoita, zvavanoshanda. Madzimai mazhinji mastands avo vanoruka, vanosona, vanogadzira zvakaita sana dovi nejam. Even kurima chaiko madzimai arikurima zvinhu zvakaita semanhanga, mapotatoes, mavegetables nezvimwe zvakawandawanda kuratidza kuti vane chinangwa chekuti nyika iyenderere mberi vanhu vachidya vachiguta.”
The First Lady said she learnt a lot from all the exhibitors she interacted with during the tour.
“I am very impressed nezvandaona muno, very educative stands,” she said. “Ese mastands arimuno ane a story to tell, ndafara zvikuru, ndadzidzawo zvakawanda uye ndinovimba kuti vese varikuuya kushow varikudzidzawo zvizhinji.”
Amai Mnangagwa also urged women who are into clothing and textiles to produce quality garments, which can be exported.
She first toured the Agricultural Produce Hall that housed exhibitions of various small to medium enterprises before visiting the Prochem stand.
Prochem manufacturers personal care products.
She then proceeded to Arenel and Cottco stands where Cottco managing director Mr Pious Manamike took her through the stages of cotton proces ing.
The First Lady also visited the Women’s University in Africa stand where the institution’s director marketing, communications and public relations, Mrs Semukeliso Gono, gave her an insight of the newly introduced degree programme – Clinical Midwifery – at the institution.
Mrs Gono told the First Lady, who is the a champion and ambassador for women and child health, that the degree is expected to help reduce maternal mortality rates in the country.
Amai Mnangagwa toured the Zanu-PF stand and was welcomed by Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Cde Sthembiso Nyoni, who showed her around.
She also interacted with exhibitors in the Rajiv Gandhi Hall before touring the GMB and Tongaat Hulett stands.
Tongaat Hulett’s corporate affairs executive, Ms Adelaide Chikunguru, informed the First Lady that the company had 18 000 workers, adding that it built 23 schools in Chiredzi and Triangle.
The First Lady was accompanied by Zanu- PF Secretary for Women Affairs Cde Mabel Chino- mona.
The 108th edition of the Harare Agricultural Show, which started on the 27th of August 2018 and ends today, is running under the theme “Field to Industry: Produce, Connect, Develop”.
Online Reporter