Zimbabwe Agricultural Society

ZAS Logo

The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) promotes agriculture and its supporting activities and is the centre of excellence in facilitating agricultural development in Zimbabwe. The development that the ZAS seeks must, ultimately, have a positive contribution to rural development while improving livelihoods, especially of youth and women.^[1]

Background

Established in 1895, and operating from The Business Hub (Formerly Exhibition Park), the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) is the epicenter for the promotion and facilitation of national agricultural development. Additionally, it is the oldest convenor and host of agricultural, commercial and industrial shows in Zimbabwe. With over1.8 million visits to The Business Hub annually, the ZAS has established a solid record of national agricultural development.

ZAS Mandate

To promote agriculture and it's supporting activities, and to facilitate agricultural development in Zimbabwe.

Vision

To improve livelihoods through the promotion of agricultural development in Zimbabwe.

Mission

To promote and accelerate the development of agriculture through the creation and sustenance of an innovative, dynamic and vibrant medium for exhibitions, competitions, discussions, training and information sharing.

ZAS Seeks to achieve it's mandate through the following Four Strategic Pillars:

THE VISUAL - The Visual Pillar of the ZAS seeks to advance the cause of agriculture through the organisation and hosting of vibrant, dyanamic, insightful shows, exhibitions and expos that bring together a diverse array of stakeholders in the various value chains.
THE NARRATIVE - The Narrative Pillar of the ZAS seeks to contribute to agricultural development through the media of conferences, discussions, education and training.
THE WORD - The Word Pillar of the ZAS seeks to advance agriculture through the distribution of information, through publications and various other publicity aspects, as well as providing government departments with information that enhances productivity.
THE LINKS - The Links Pillar of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society seeks to advance agriculture through the establishment, development and nurturing of mutually beneficial partners and collaborations.

What they Offer

Show and Exhibitions

The ZAS advances the cause of agriculture through the organisation and hosting of vibrant, dynamic, insightful shows, exhibitions and expos that bring together a diverse array of stakeholders in the various value chains.

The annual Zimbabwe Agricultural Show is the premier event organized by the ZAS for the national facilitation and promotion of agricultural development in Zimbabwe. Attracting more than 550 commercial exhibitors, 700 farmers, 200 micro-enterprises and over a quarter of a million visitors annually. The Show presents a unique business opportunity for national and regional organisations and is the highlight of many Harare residents' annual entertainment calendar.

Conferences and Discussions

The ZAS contributes to agricultural development through the medium of conferences, discussions, education and training.

ZAS organizes the discussions which focus on pertinent national agricultural issues through the Agricultural Development Discussions. Previous discussions have focused on climate smart agriculture, small grains, Revitalizing the cotton sector, potato production and marketing challenges. Maize value chain strengthening as well as financing agricultural value chains. Their News and Publications section contains highlights from these discussions.

The Annual National Agribusiness Conference (ANAC) organised jointly with the National Economic Consultative Forum (NECF), seeks to exhaustively discuss, synthesize and distill pragmatic and relevant ideas from the ZAS annual theme for immediate implementation during the forthcoming summer season.

Information and Publicity

The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society contributes to agricultural development through medium of Information, publications and various other publicity aspects.

The annual Agricultural Sector Survey, initiated by the ZAS and the Financial Gazette, is meant to assist stakeholders in the sector by providing authentic, independent, up-to-date and in-depth analysis of the sector while highlighting the challenges and illuminating opportunities and attempting to proffer solutions for a rapid, robust, inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth trajectory. Benchmarking and best practice “pit-stops” and “pain stops” in the survey should spur motivation among actors to accelerate activities to transform the sector.

Partnerships

The ZAS advances agriculture through partnership and collaborations.

The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) in partnership with various mining companies introduced the Livestock Revitalisation Programme whose main objective is to help improve cattle genetics (quality) and quantity within communal farming areas in all the Provinces of Zimbabwe. The Livestock Revitalisation Programme involves artificial insemination.

Events Venue Hire

With an estimated 2 million visits to the Business Hub annually, the ZAS has established a solid record as a preferred facilitator and promoter of national agricultural development. The Business Hub venues are ideal for exhibitions, conferences, meetings, concerts, weddings, parties and examinations. At maximum capacity we can host 100 000 people, in a total of 85 000sqm of space.

Offices to Let

The Exhibition Park is strategically located, a five-minute drive from Harare's Central Business District making it an ideal location for office business. Banks, government vehicle licensing, insurance services, utility payment services, farmers' unions, agriculture suppliers and motor industry are resident in the Park. In addition, restaurants catering for a wide range of culinary appeals and a limited number of specialised services are also available for the convenience of visitors. The estimated 2 million visitors annually create a catchment market for businesses operating in the Park.