The country is expecting over 800 000 kilogrammes of shisha tobacco this year, a giant leap from last year's 101 599kg, with farmers pinning their hopes on receiving rains this week to counter the threat of moisture stress.
This comes as the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) recently released statistics indicating that 407 hectares of the crop had been planted this year marking a 270 percent increase from last year's 110ha.
The only registered shisha contracting company, Cavendish Llyod's chief executive officer Mr Tinashe Mukadzambo yesterday said they were expecting better quality and yields from this year's crop, as growers had gained experience and putting to practice last year's recommendations from the market.
"Over 800 000kg of shisha are expected in the 2024 marketing season, as we forecast better yields of between 2 000 and 2 300kg per hectare from the planted hectarage. We will see how the rains perform in the coming few weeks to decide if we need to revise our targets due to moisture stress on the crop," he said.
Farmers are pre-occupied with reaping and curing at the moment, followed by the immediate processes of grading and baling in preparation for marketing, he added.
As shisha is bought on the degree of spot prevalence with high prices being fetched on less spot, thin, whitish and clean leaves, the quality of this year's crop is better as growers are paying more attention to the reaping as per the feedback from the markets from last year's crop.
The recommendation was to reap early so as to avoid spots, he added.
Said Mr Mukadzambo: "For next year, we want to do 500ha as we scale up gradually and build critical mass."
The area under shisha flue cured tobacco commercial production increased 270 percent from 110 hectares in the 2022/23 season to 407 this season.
In its maiden commercial season last year, 10 commercial growers did production on 110ha. More commercial, semi-commercial (about five hectares) and small-scale farmers (less than five hectares) were added this year to bring the total number of growers to over 100.
Before the start of the season last year, Cavendish Llyod flighted an advert calling on farmers in slower-growing areas to register for the 2023/24 season.
It called on farmers located in the slower-growing areas of Goromonzi, Marondera, Macheke, Headlands and Rusape who had the facilities to handle at least five hectares to grow the crop.
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Another requirement for registration was the ability of growers to fund operational costs from land preparation, planting and fertilisation up to first reaping.
In turn, Cavendish Lloyd promised to provide shisha seedlings and agronomic services, funding after the first reaping until the sales of the crop and guaranteed off-take of everything.
Meanwhile, some disgruntled farmers have called on the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) to rescind the contract between Cavendish Lloyd and them citing failure by contractor to abide by TIMB Acts and attendant statutes.
They also cited failure by contractor to abide by Tobacco Research Board (TRB) standards and recommendations. Mr Mukadzambo dismissed the allegations saying all their operations were above board as per TIMB regulations and in conformity with recommendations from Kutsaga. He added that his organisation contracted individual growers not farmers' unions.
Shisha is also a flue-cured tobacco, not from the Kutsaga released seed varieties but imported. It has its own characteristics and is produced under different agronomic practices from the usual flue-cured tobacco that are designed to influence nicotine and sugar levels.
It has a very low nicotine content (below one percent) and high sugars levels (25 percent). Unlike flue-cure tobacco that has a plant population of 15 000 per hectare, shisha has double the figure to ensure the plants compete for nutrients, hence reducing the nicotine levels.
In its inaugural year of commercial production (2023), the highly rewarding crop achieved a highest price of US$5,40 per kilogramme and an average of US$3,15.
