Harare Agric Show ends on high note

Livingstone Marufu
THE 107th edition of the Harare Agricultural Show ended on a high note yesterday, with a traditionally huge turnout for the final day.

The show ran under the theme “Seed to Feed”, with President Mugabe officially opening the show on Friday.

Over 270 000 people are estimated to have entered Exhibition Park — the Harare Agricultural Show venue — since it started last Monday.

Zimbabwe Agricultural Show spokesperson Miss Roberta Katunga expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the event. “I am very pleased with the way Zimbabweans supported our show. Today (yesterday) we have witnessed one of our biggest crowds since we opened on Monday with over 70 000 attendees. We have obliterated our target of 250 000 people to somewhere close to 300 000.

“The quality of the exhibits had been at an all-time high  and even the quality of the stands  was very high due to a number of issues which include the success story of the Command Agriculture and the good agriculture season the country had witnessed the past season.

“We have witnessed a very good show this year and there were over 485 exhibitors at this year’s show with the majority of those being local.” Ms Katunga said 79 000 square metres of exhibition space were taken up this year compared to 76 000 last year.

This year’s show attracted five foreign exhibitors. Among local exhibitors were the Tobacco Research Board, Agriculture Produce Market, Home Industries, Pro Brands, Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Gushungo Holdings and Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union, and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, whose spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo expressed satisfaction with the thousands of people who were attracted by the parastatal’s popular display of animals.