The Mashonaland West Province Agricultural Show officially opened on Thursday in Chinhoyi, attracting large crowds and featuring products and services from hundreds of vendors.

The event highlights agricultural innovation, trade opportunities, and community engagement in the region. Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Marian Chombo delivered the keynote address, underscoring the importance of agriculture in driving economic growth and food security in the province.

Chombo said that agriculture plays a transformative role in creating rural industries, noting that not only is it a means of sustenance but also the backbone of the country's economy, contributing 16.9 per cent of the province's GDP and 24.4 per cent of the total employment nationwide. 

The figures, she said, clearly point out the need to promote the agricultural sector through the creation of agribusiness.

The Governor of the Kavango East Region, Hamunyera Hambyuka, who was in attendance as part of the bilateral provincial agreement renewal between the two regions, noted that the theme, “Climate smart agricultural industrialisation for sustainable food and nutrition security”, which he termed as “timely and relevant”, speaks to many countries across Africa and Namibia in particular, with regard to a growing recognition that agriculture is not only a sector but a strategic tool for rural transformation, economic independence and food sovereignty.