More than a show: the business of farming

Theseus Mauruki Shambare

The ostriches had the children stopping in their tracks. So did the cattle, goats and rabbits.

At another corner of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, marching bands provided the soundtrack, while virtual reality attractions offered visitors a different kind of experience.

Then there was the Zimbabwe Defence Forces stand, where children marvelled at military equipment, parents answered questions and adults paused to learn about the work of the country’s armed forces.

For the past week, the 116th edition of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show offered much more than the traditional spectacle of livestock, farm produce and machinery.

It presented agriculture as a living ecosystem — one increasingly shaped by technology, finance, water, markets, research and the people who consume what farmers produce.

That was the deeper meaning behind this year’s theme: “Powering Growth — where Agriculture, Technology and Commerce converge.”

The convergence was visible in the conversations taking place across the Showgrounds.

For Government, one of the biggest questions is how to move agriculture from traditional production into a more mechanised and technology-driven future.

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Professor Obert Jiri, said Zimbabwe’s mechanisation development index had risen from about 20 percent to more than 43 percent.

“Now we are seeing our mechanisation development index moving from as low as 20 percent to over 43 percent, which is a massive move in terms of the access and the utilisation of machines in our agriculture,” he said.

But the ambition extends far beyond the current gains.

“We want, of course, every village to have to be mechanised,” he said. “So, to start with a tractor and to move on to other pieces of equipment like drones, that will ensure that in every village our production is mechanised and modernised.”

The target is about 35 000 rural villages. Yet mechanisation requires something farmers have historically struggled to access — affordable finance.

CBZ Agro-Yield head of supply chain and mechanisation, Mr Godfrey Sagotora, said the institution was now implementing Phase Three of a US$30 million tractor facility.

“We are currently in Phase 3 of the Belarus mechanisation scheme. This is actually a 30 million US dollar tractor facility that we are working on,” he said.

“From inception, under Agro-Yield, we have managed to push over 40 units, tractor units.”

But CBZ’s proposition goes beyond the tractor.

The financial institution is seeking to provide farmers with a package that brings together machinery, inputs, working capital, transportation, warehousing and market access.

“CBZ’s line of thinking is that they are supposed to give farmers a full package of services so that it improves productivity as well as quality of the crop that we take to the market,” Mr Sagotora said.

It is a significant shift in thinking.

The farmer is no longer being viewed simply as someone who needs inputs to produce a crop.

The farmer is increasingly being treated as an entrepreneur operating within a value chain.

That same shift was visible at the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) stand.

Drones, irrigation models and digital technologies formed part of a broader picture of how agriculture is being reshaped by data and precision.

ARDA chief executive officer, Mr Tinotenda Mhiko, said the organisation was embracing technology-driven and climate-smart farming.

“ARDA now uses advanced soil testing systems, geographic information systems, satellite mapping and AI-powered yield prediction models,” he said.

For a country where fertiliser, fuel and foreign currency remain expensive, the value of such technology lies in efficiency.

The more accurately a farmer understands the soil, the crop and the field, the greater the possibility of reducing waste and improving returns.

Belarus is also seeking to take the relationship with Zimbabwe beyond tractors and conventional farm machinery.

Belarusian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Yury Nikalaichyk, said companies from his country were interested in introducing agricultural drones and other high technologies into the Zimbabwean market.

“We have companies that produce agricultural drones for smart agriculture, and they are as well showcasing interest to enter the new market for them and cooperate in transfer of high technologies,” he said.

Technology, however, cannot remove one of agriculture’s oldest vulnerabilities — water.

The confirmation of El Niño conditions at the 33rd Southern African Climate Outlook Forum has raised concern over the 2026/27 agricultural season, with below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures expected across much of the region.

That has made irrigation and climate-smart production central to the agricultural conversation.

For many, the agricultural show was an experience.

The ostriches were among the biggest attractions, making their debut in the livestock section and offering visitors something they had not seen at previous editions.

The ZimParks snake display provided another drawcard, while the livestock section brought children face-to-face with animals they might otherwise encounter only in books or on screens.

The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services band added to the carnival atmosphere, while virtual reality attractions transported visitors into digital worlds.

Then came the ZDF stand.

It attracted children fascinated by military equipment, adults curious about the country’s defence capabilities and families looking for something different from the usual agricultural exhibits.

One parent, Chiedza Nyamutumbu, said the attraction quickly became an educational experience.

“My children wanted to see the equipment, but they also started asking questions about the different roles in the forces. It was interesting because they were learning something while enjoying themselves,” she said.

Another visitor, Taurai Mazungu from Rafingora, reflected on the diversity of the agricultural show.

“I came to the Show expecting agriculture, but there is so much more here,” he said.

“You move from farming technology to defence, livestock and entertainment. It gives you a picture of what Zimbabwe can produce and the different skills we have.”

That diversity is reflected in the numbers.

More than 640 exhibitors participated this year, up from 613 in 2025, while booked exhibition space increased to 89 500 square metres.

Livestock entries jumped to 126 from 84, with ostriches making their debut and new exhibitors entering sections such as rabbit production.

The Show increasingly resembles an agricultural marketplace, innovation hub, business forum and national classroom rolled into one.