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The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe shares a lighter moment with her Congo Brazzaville counterpart Mrs Antoinette Sassou Nguesso at the Harare Agricultural Show yesterday. -(Picture by Innocent Makawa)

Herald Reporters
The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe says she grows most of her vegetables instead of buying from supermarkets. She made the remarks during a tour of the agricultural stands at the Exhibition Park yesterday.
Amai Mugabe was accompanied by Congo Brazzaville First Lady, Mrs Antoinette Sassou Nguesso.

Amai Mugabe said she had the passion for producing vegetables and encouraged women to grow their own rather than buy from supermarkets every day.

“Producing vegetables is my area and I always tell them (women) I do not want to see a woman who goes to the market to buy vegetables. I challenge them to grow them on their own,” she said.

Amai Mugabe is also into dairy farming at Gushungo Farm in Mazowe where she produces milk and milk products.

She said she would take Mrs Sassou Nguesso to the farm today (Saturday).

The two First Ladies also toured Tongaat Hullet, the National Aids Council, aviary, agriculture produce hall, tobacco hall and Alpha Omega hall among other stands.

Amai Mugabe appreciated the efforts being put in the tobacco sector which had resulted in the increase in production.

“Tobacco used to be grown by white former commercial farmers but now it is produced by indigenous farmers,” she said.

Mrs Sassou Nguesso was thrilled at the National Aids Council stand, when she learnt that every employee in Zimbabwe contributed three percent of his or her salary towards the Aids levy.

Speaking through an interpreter, she said she appreciated the efforts by Zimbabwe to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS.

At the ZINARA stand, the authority chairman, Mr Albert Mugabe pledged to pay school fees for the third term for the 20 pupils at Amai Mugabe Junior School in Mazowe.

“Thank you very much for the support, chitsva chiri murutsoka and I do appreciate. Is it just for third term and you stop? But they are in arrears you tell them. They haven’t paid ever since they started,” she said.