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Edgar Vhera-Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE second commercial season of shisha tobacco has seen farmers pocketing US$900 000 with some small-scale growers lamenting the unavailability of sales sheet for a breakdown of their earnings versus what they owe contractors.
Cavendish Llyod is currently the only registered and licenced shisha merchant by Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).
Statistics released by TIMB recently showed that growers had sold 250 858 kilogrammes of shisha valued at US$891 902.
An average price of US$3, 56 per kilogramme has been recorded to date.
A total of 3 236 bales were laid with 3 052 getting sold while 184 were rejected, marking a rejection rate of 5, 69 percent. The average bale weight was 82, 19 kilogrammes.
The highest price earned to date is US$5, 70 per kilogramme, with the lowest price sitting at US$0, 75.
Cavendish Llyod chief executive officer Mr Tinashe Mukadzambo said they had purchased 60 percent of the expected crop although the El Nino-induced drought had adversely affected leaf weight.
“The highest price stands at US$5, 70, though the quality and yield of this year’s crop has been affected by El Nino drought. We hope next season the crop will be good due to the forecast La Nina,” he said.
An A2 farmer from Emerald Farm in Rusape, Mrs Elizabeth Tsoriyo yesterday said this was a season to forget as she has not received any money for the 17 bales she sold to date.
“I sold 17 bales at the Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF) auction and though the price was good, I am not happy about Cavendish Llyod administration. I am a registered grower but my contractor’s administration of papers, bookings leaves a lot to be desired, as up to now I have not seen my sales sheet for an appreciation of how my produce fared,” she said dejectedly.
She said their contractor collected the vouchers from TSF yet she had the right to appreciate how her earnings were arrived at and how much had gone towards paying for the inputs she was given versus the outstanding figure, if any.
Mrs Tsoriyo said she had prepared two hectares of the crop but the seeds arrived late in November and December.
“I ended up planting 1, 5 hectares, as some of the seedlings could not be transplanted as they had already started flowering in the seedbed. We were told the seeds were sown at Scottco in Marondera in June for the early irrigated September crop but were later given to dryland farmers,” she explained.
Mrs Tsoriyo said their contractor was supposed to fund all their production requirements from the cashflow they signed but she was not given coal, wood, chemicals and labour money.
Another A1 farmer from Nyahukwe Farm in Rusape, Mr Patrick Madziwa concurred that shisha prices were good but even after selling half of his crop, he had not extinguished his debt yet.
“I planted 3 hectares under dryland though I irrigated at planting. I think I will get 42 bales. I have sold 22 bales that scored a high price of US$5, 70 per kilogramme with my scrap selling for US$2, 70 fetching an average of US$3, 80,” he said.
He said an insurance payment of around US$2 700, transport charges of US$850 plus floor charges of US$900 had consumed all his earnings.
Mr Madziwa revealed that he is struggling to pay hired helpers since had not been given funding for that purpose. He outsourced labour for harvesting and curing of the remaining crop in the field.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust (TFUT) president Mr Victor Mariranyika said small-scale shisha farmers had issues with their contractor, which were being handled by their lawyers.
Efforts to get a comment from Cavendish Llyod on the allegations were fruitless, as they had not responded at the time of going to press.
Online Reporter