admin
Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
WITH only one outstanding sale before the 2024 shisha marketing season ends, farmers have pocketed US$1, 3 million after selling 92 percent of the projected crop size.
This comes as yield projections have dropped from 800 000 at the start of the season to the current less than 500 000 kilogrammes because of the El Nino-induced drought that ruined the 2023/24 agricultural season.
Statistics released by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) recently showed that growers sold 387 559 kilogrammes of shisha valued at US$1 271 914.
The average price continues on a downward trajectory from US$3, 44 in the previous sale to US$3, 28 per kilogramme in the last sale date.
Of the cumulative 5 129 bales laid to date, only 4 726 were sold, signalling an eight percent rejection rate.
The highest and lowest prices earned stand at US$5, 70 and US$0, 75 per kilogramme respectively since the start of the season.
Chief executive officer for the country’s sole shisha buyer, Cavendish Llyod, Mr Tinashe Mukadzambo said they had purchased about 92 percent of the revised target.
“We are left with only one sale to clear all the produced shisha crop,” he said.
Predictions of a normal to above normal rainfall season for the upcoming summer season influenced by the forecast La Nina weather phenomenon has renewed hopes for debutante farmers to partake in the production of the lucrative crop.
Cavendish Llyod has since started contracting farmers for the 2024/25 season.
Among the shisha contracting conditions to be met are that the prospective farmer must be a Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) registered grower, undertaking production on a farm with an altitude of above 1 300 metres above sea level in the country’s tobacco growing regions.
“Growers should have enough arable land for crop rotations, preferably sand to sandy loam soils with priority given to those with a good source of water and can irrigate.
“A risk assessment will be done to check on whether the grower has any outstanding loans from their previous tobacco seasons,” said Mr Mukadzambo.
For effective seedling production, the farmer should have adequate water and functional curing facilities for the targeted hectarage hectares.
Additionally, farmers must have adequate storage and grading sheds, enough farm equipment or ready access to the same for quality preservation.
Lastly, labour should be readily available and production should be steered by a competent and knowledgeable manager.
The area under shisha tobacco commercial production increased 270 percent from 110 hectares in the 2022/23 season to 407 this season and is projected to grow to 500 hectares in the 2024/25 season.
A beneficiary of the land resettlement programme and A2 farmer from Dombie Farm in Marondera, Mr Kuda Kudenga said he hopes to extinguish the capital loan he got from Cavendish Llyod and build world class barns in his final sale.
“I did 20 hectares, 5 under dryland and 15 under irrigation and produced 50 tonnes. My output could have been more if the dryland crop was not severely affected by drought.
“I will do 20 to 25 hectares this coming season to make good use of my new installed barn infrastructure” Mr Kudenga said.
Online Reporter