PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday officially opened the 104th show of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society and called on agricultural stakeholders to be fully prepared ahead of the 2014 to 2015 season.
Staff Reporter
The yesteryear pomp and fanfare punctuated with bustling crowds at the official opening was not evident as part of Exhibition Park was empty.
Mugabe said government was happy that maize and grain production was set to surpass 1,4 million tonnes, enough to ensure national food self-sufficiency.
“For the first time after many years of drought, Zimbabwe has now attained this level of production. Tobacco production also continued on an upward trend, now being valued at over $676 million, from 167 million kg realised during the 2012 and 2013 season,” he said.
Mugabe said overall crop production was much more improved in the last farming season, adding that government hoped this trend would continue.
This year’s edition is being held under the theme Sustaining and Transforming Agricultural Growth.
Mugabe said agriculture was the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy, adding that government had already taken steps to value-add tobacco, tea and cotton sub-sectors.
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“Much more still needs to be done for us to fully benefit from our resources. Zimbabwe cannot continue to remain a country of predominantly raw material and unbeneficiated primary product exporter,” he said.
Mugabe said he was informed that uptake of exhibition space at the show was 100% and expressed joy that that foreign companies and countries had become annual participants at the show.
“We highly appreciate their definite expression of confidence in our agricultural sector, in particular and our economy in general,” Mugabe said. “In addition to commendable representation by local companies spanning the spectrum of agriculture, companies from Africa and beyond are also well represented.”
Participating countries include Zambia, Ghana, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa.
