TOP FARMER PULLS OUT OF ZIM AGRIC SHOW

An exhibitor is furious that rules of the competition had been broken and has pulled out of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show.

Zvikomborero Farms accused the chairperson of the livestock division, Crispen Kadiramwando, of changing the rules.

“Zvikombonero Farms (Pvt) Ltd are withdrawing from their 2024 small stock entry to the ZAS competition with much disappointment and concern. Our reasons, as already discussed since this morning with Noah Matimba and other livestock section committee members, stem (from) the blatant change of rules to this competition,” Zvikomborero Farms managing director Divine Simbi-Ndhlukula wrote in the letter seen by Newsday.

“Your article 9 of the Livestock Entries Booklet states that the breeder of an animal must be the owner of the dam at the time of birth of the animal entered for display. This was further emphasised in the exhibitor’s WhatsApp group that the animals must originate by birth at and from the exhibitor’s farm, hence the inspections that were carried out at our farms by the committee members.

“We noted that stock presented by one exhibitor is stock that is clearly not bred in Zimbabwe by the purported breeder Crispen Kadiramwando, who also happens to be the chairperson of the livestock section for ZAS.

“We brought to the attention of the adjudication chairperson Noah Matimba, who informed us that he was looking into it. At first, we were told he was no longer competing. At some stage, we were then informed that he was now competing as the animals are his, which he bred in Namibia.”

Simbi-Ndhlukula further alleged that Kadiramwando breeds stock from Namibia and presents them at the competition, which was against the competition rules.

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