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Edgar Vhera

Agriculture Specialist Writer

THE Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS) has stood firm against allegations of biased selection of the livestock sector competition winner at the 114 edition of the agriculture show stressing its commitment to transparency and strict selection measures.

This comes as some breeders had raised concerns of lack of transparency and conflict of interest in the competition following the participation of one of the livestock committee members.   

ZAS president, Mr Ngoni Kudenga explained: “Our policy doesn’t prohibit a member of the livestock committee from competing. We actually encourage their participation. To safeguard issues of self-conflict, we invited independent and professional judges to do the adjudication after some farmers had raised concerns last year.”

He said a member of the livestock committee who was not taking part in the competition oversaw the judging.

“The overall winner of the livestock section is given to the contestant who amasses the highest points from the different competing categorises and we encourage farmers to participate in various classes to get points,” he added.

Competitors in the livestock sector had complained that one breeder, Prisons was disqualified for bringing bulls, which they did not breed yet another exhibitor who allegedly transported animals from Namibia (though he claimed they were from his farm in that country) was not disqualified. They professed ignorance whether the said farmer had bought the bulls or not.

ZAS livestock section chairman and founder of Kadram Boer Goat Farm Private Limited, Mr Crispen Kadiramwando also trashed the allegations of animals being brought from Namibia for the competition.

“Not even one animal from Namibia was judged at the just ended ZAS from my farm including the brown Swiss appearing on the circulating video. Only a three-month old calf, which I produced at my farm is the one that was judged,” he said.

However, this was not enough to pacify the disgruntled competitors with prominent Featherstone farmer and director of Zvikomborero Farm, Dr Divine Ndhlukula withdrawing her small livestock from the competition in protest.

She alleged that there was no transparency at all in the process as breeders did not even know who had won in the different categories until the overall winner was announced during the official opening of the show.

Another breeder Mussolini Ganyi concurred saying organisers of the event must not take part to avoid conflict of interest.

“Our major issue is that of governance, as we feel that the chairperson or a committee member must not be allowed to compete,” he said.

Winner in the livestock sector competition, Mr Crispen Kadiramwando seemed unfazed by the allegations narrating how he started his business and the challenges he went through.

“At the just ended ZAS my black Dexter bull was the grand champion Dairy Bull with my Holstein cow crowned the grand champion Dairy Cow. My Boer goat buck was the grand champion buck and the reserve grand buck was a 31-day old kid while I also had the grand champion Doe,” Mr Kadiramwando explained in a WhatsApp group to which he is a member.

He acknowledged that others performed very well in the beef and sheep sections adding that the overall livestock winner was one with highest marks harvested from all sections in which he would have participated.

“I won the overall livestock section trophy and I’m happy. About competing when I am a committee member, I think the decision rests with ZAS. They should committee members from participating if necessary. I am prepared to step down from the committee and continue competing. I have already started preparing for 2025,” he added.