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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
SHISHA flue-cured tobacco commercial production has increased 270 percent from 110 hectares last season to 407 this season, as farmers capitalise on the rewarding venture.
Statistics released by Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) show that 407 hectares were planted under shisha this season.
Last year, a total output of 101 559 kilogrammes of shisha were marketed at an average price of $3, 15 per kilogramme.
Cavendish Lloyd is currently the only registered and licenced shisha merchant by TIMB.
After successful variety and agronomic trials conducted by Kutsaga since 2021 and the first commercial crop in the 2022/23 season, Cavendish Lloyd chief executive officer Mr Tinashe Mukadzambo said the hectarage could have been larger were it not for consideration of the predicted El Nino weather pattern.
“Consideration of the dreaded El Nino weather pattern led to farmers planting 407 hectares, a figure less than the planned over 500 this season. In our maiden commercial season last year, we did 110 hectares from 10 commercial growers,” he said.
Shisha is a highly rewarding crop after achieving a high price of US$5, 40 per kilogramme on the market last year.
In addition to the 10 commercial growers, more commercial, semi-commercial (about five hectares) and small-scale (less than five hectares) were added this year, Mr Mukadzambo continued.
The shisha crop in the field was looking good and reaping was in progress.
Mr Mukadzambo said liquidity challenges in the economy did not spare them also but they soldiered on to achieve this feat.
Shisha is also a flue-cured tobacco, not from the Kutsaga released seed varieties but is imported and has its own characteristics and is produced under different agronomic practices all designed to influence nicotine and sugar levels.
Shisha has a very low nicotine content (below one percent) and high sugars levels (25 percent). Unlike 15 000 plants per hectare for normal flue-cured tobacco, under shisha the amount is doubled with the aim of ensuring that they compete for the nutrients, hence reducing the nicotine levels
It is predominantly grown in slower growing areas of Goromonzi, Marondera, Macheke, Headlands and Rusape unlike in fast-growing areas of Karoi, Banket where it tends to develop a lot of spots thereby negatively impacting on price.
For one to be contracted, registration with TIMB was a requisite, followed by production records of at least three years.
Farmers must be able to grow and have the facilities to handle at least five hectares.
Cavendish Lloyd provided shisha seedlings and agronomic services, funding after the first reap until the sales of the crop and guaranteed off-take of everything.
Shisha is bought on the degree of spot prevalence with high prices being fetched on less spot, thin, whitish and clean leaves.
The 2023 season shisha average price of US$3, 15 per kilogramme is four percent larger than the 2023 seasonal flue-cured tobacco average price of US$3, 03.
Online Reporter