The ongoing shisha flue cured tobacco marketing season has seen over 35 percent of the expected crop being sold by Day 4 with growers earning over US$660 000 at an average price of US$3, 62 per kilogramme.
Statistics released by Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) yesterday show that growers have sold 182 701 kilogrammes of shisha valued at US$661 334.
A total of 2 385 bales were laid with only 2 223 sold and 162 bales rejected, a rejection rate of 6, 79 percent. The average bale weight stood at 82, 19 kilogrammes.
The 2024 marketing season has seen a high and low price of US$5, 70 and US$0.80 respectively.
Marondera A2 farmer Mr Kuda Kudenga said the season was going well though he was still harvesting his irrigated crop, which he thinks will earn him high prices.
"I managed to do 20 hectares, 14 under dryland and six under irrigation and I have so far sold part of the dryland harvest. My current highest price is US$5, 70 per kilogramme," he said.
Mr Kudenga said due to the El Nino induced drought the crop quality was low, which was negatively affecting the leaf and bale weight.
"I am expecting a price of above US$6 per kilogramme from my irrigated crop that is looking fantastic. I will maintain my current hectarage next season but only under irrigation," he added.
Mr Kudenga said he had not yet started enjoying the benefits from the current sale, as he was still extinguishing his credit with a contractor.
Another farmer, Mr Nalan Ruzvidzo concurred saying he was also yet to enjoy the earnings from his shisha sales, as he was fulfilling his contractual obligations and had also managed to get a high price of US$5, 70 per kilogramme.
Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association chairman Mr George Seremwe said currently there appeared to be no pulling factor that can attract people into shisha production.
"By the look of things, it appears as if it's unprofitable to grow shisha as compared to Virginia tobacco though it has the added advantage of being less capital intensive," said Mr Seremwe.
Cavendish Llyod is currently the only registered and licenced shisha merchant by TIMB.
After successful variety and agronomic trials conducted by Kutsaga since 2021 the first commercial crop was done in the 2022/23 season and this is its second commercial season.
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Shisha is a highly rewarding crop after achieving a high price of US$5, 40 per kilogramme on the market last year.
Shisha is also a flue-cured tobacco, not from the Kutsaga released seed varieties but is imported and has its own characteristics. It 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 slow growing areas of Goromonzi, Marondera, Macheke, Headlands and Rusape unlike in fast-growing areas of Karoi, Banket that turn to develop a lot of spots thereby negatively impacting on price.
For one to be contracted, registration with TIMB is 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 current average price is 15 percent higher than the 2023 season shisha average price of US$3, 15 per kilogramme.
