Online Reporter
Lonster Mutata
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE has fertile soils, adequate sunlight and diverse climates that make it ideal for year-round cannabis and hemp cultivation.
This came out when Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, visited Thathokuhle Farm in Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province, recently.
Dr Masuka commended the farm for expanding its role in cannabis and hemp production.
Thathokuhle Farm has two hectares dedicated to greenhouse cannabis and another five hectares for open-field cultivation.
It is rapidly establishing itself as one of Zimbabwe’s leading innovators in the industrial crop sector.
Dr Masuka admired the farm’s “articulate production systems”.
He said its operations align with the Government’s value-addition initiative.
“Our intention, of course, is to push for value addition and beneficiation,” said Dr Masuka.
“This resonates fully with President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s thrust under the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy.
“As we all appreciate, the real value lies in the subsequent nodes of the value chain, and I am pleased to see Thathokuhle collaborating with successful enterprises in South Africa to strengthen that trajectory.”
Dr Masuka said cannabis and hemp have now become integral to Zimbabwe’s industrial crops, noting that the Government has acted swiftly to establish the necessary supportive structures.
“We have put in place institutions to assist farmers and to craft the regulatory and policy framework required to catalyse this transformation,” he said.
He highlighted the Hemp and Cannabis Industrial Working Group as essential for fostering “a collective and coordinated approach to developing the industry”.
Dr Masuka also stressed the importance of research in sustaining progress, praising the work of Kutsaga Research Station.
Research remains the backbone of transformation, said the Minister, adding that with robust varieties suited to the local environment, Zimbabwe can accelerate industry growth and attract more growers.
Dr Masuka hopes to see established farmers become “nucleus hubs for grooming smallholder growers” so that this becomes an inclusive and broad-based value chain.
Farm owner, Mr Michael Querl said Zimbabwe is “the place to grow cannabis”.
“I have been growing cannabis for four years now, and what we must now do is value-add right here in this country.
“We have everything we need; the weather, the soils, and you can grow it throughout the year,” said Mr Querl.
He also praised the collaboration with South African partners, stating that the technology being introduced means that even a smallholder farmer can participate and produce at a proper value.
Mr Querl said the minister’s visit was a significant endorsement for the sector.
Thathokuhle Farm exports high-quality cannabis and hemp to Europe, the US and Asia, showcasing Zimbabwe’s potential in the global multi-billion-dollar industry.
