Chipinge Agricultural Show Should Live To Its Billing- Business Community

By Steve Ephraem

THE poor turnout that was witnessed during the 2022 edition of Chipinge Agricultural Show that was held from Friday, September 16 to 18 2022 running on the theme ‘Empowering, enhancing and uplifting businesses under Covid-19 era’ is a case of concern.

The event has been running for years now however, for the past two years, it did not happen due to COVID 19 and the global lockdown. The two-year rest should have given the organisers amble time to decisively plan for the 2022 edition and how they can improve it from their previous endeavours. However, it seems as though they also took a break from planning.

Both exhibitors and clients tend to become over-excited when an occasion such as the agric show bounces back. That was everyone’s expectation when the agricultural shows were given green light in the relaxation of lockdown regulations.

Chipinge Agricultural Show’s perennial exhibitors who include Agricultural Market Authority, Nyaradzo Life Assurance, Tanganda Tea Company and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management’s absence should be a cause of concern.

Thanks to automobile dealer, Duly Motors, ZIMRA, Zimpapers, ZRP and others not mentioned for keeping faith in Chipinge. The district still needs more.

Absence of huge corporates and organisations should give the Samuel Maronga led Chipinge Show Society a reason to go to the drawing board and address whatever went wrong in their planning. The society should come out of the comfort zone and sweat to address the cause with immediate effect.

Chipinge is agro based and commands products such as cotton, sugar cane, avocados, macadamia nuts, tea, coffee, timber, dairy, sesame, bananas, pine apples, and livestock. To watch its agricultural show failing to live to its billing is quite detrimental to the district, the province and the nation.