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Elton Manguwo

PREPARATIONS for the 114^th edition of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS) have reached home stretch amid revelations that 75 percent of the groundwork has since been completed.

The show is scheduled to take place from August 26 to 31 August in Harare. It will be running under the theme: “Cultivating Prosperity. Growing Business. Innovating for Change. Nurturing our Future.”

In an interview yesterday, Zimbabwe Agricultural Society chief executive officer Dr Andrew Matibiri said an estimated 75 percent of the preparations had been completed adding that they had made significant progress in putting everything together.

“Most of the key logistical, infrastructural and administrative tasks that include securing the exhibition grounds and coordinating with exhibitors are nearing completion. We are just finalising everything about the event,” said Dr Matibiri.

Dr Matibiri, expressed confidence that the remaining 25 percent of the preparations would be completed smoothly in the coming weeks allowing for a seamless and well-organised event.

“The preparations for the upcoming event are advancing well with most exhibitors making significant changes to the appearance and design of their exhibition pavilions and display stands,” said Dr Matibiri.

He revealed that 368 exhibitors had confirmed their participation at the event from the targeted 560 exhibitors.

“The total area available for exhibitions this year is 76 000 square metres and to date an uptake of 66 528 square metres has been confirmed,” said Dr Matibiri.

The upcoming event has attracted a strong international presence with exhibitors from several countries confirming their participation.

“Among the confirmed exhibitors from outside our borders are participants from Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Malawi, Germany, Eswatini, Botswana and Zambia. This diverse line-up of international exhibitors underscores the growing global recognition and appeal of the show, as a platform to showcase agricultural innovations, technologies and products,” said Dr Matibiri.

The event is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders including farmers, agribusinesses, industry experts, policymakers and technology providers all of whom will have the opportunity to engage, network and explore new opportunities for collaboration and development.

ZAS is a premier event of its kind in the country, providing a comprehensive platform for showcasing the latest advancements, technologies and best practices in the agriculture sector.

“The show will serve as a vibrant celebration of the innovative spirit, cutting-edge solutions and impressive growth witnessed across various sub-sectors of Zimbabwe’s agricultural landscape,” said Dr Matibiri.

In addition to the preparations already underway, the organisers of the event have also implemented a comprehensive security and crowd management plan to ensure the safety of show-goers and smooth operation of the event.

“This includes crowd surveillance using drones, more CCTV coverage of the premises, increased patrols by the police and hired guards and public address systems to keep show-goers up to date with happenings and crowd control,” said Dr Matibiri.