A group of 40 small holder farmers in Matabeleland North province is poised to receive support from unnamed development partners to grow industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis.
Addressing stakeholders at a ground-breaking Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Field Day held at Michael Querl`s Thathokuhle Farm Enterprise in Douglasdale, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Province, Judith Ncube, announced that a sponsor had been identified by her office to fund the 40 farmers for cannabidiol (CBD) flower production in the upcoming season.
The out-grower farmers will operate on one-hectare plots selected from Nyamandlovu, Douglasdale and Umzingwane. The CBD is most concentrated in the female flower buds of the plant, although it is also present in the leaves and other parts.
“As a region, we are very excited about this development, which is a key milestone in the growth of this sector,” said Ncube. Both industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis hold transformative potential for Zimbabwe’s agriculture and industry.
With diverse applications in textiles, construction, biofuels, and pharmaceuticals, these crops align with national goals for sustainable development and economic diversification.
The government, through the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) and the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), has established progressive policies to support their cultivation.
The Tobacco Research Board (TRB), trading as Kutsaga, drives innovation and sustainable practices, ensuring a competitive and resilient hemp and cannabis industry. Minister Ncube emphasized that industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis were key in the transformation of the agricultural sector, making support for new players vital for its growth.
“Allow me to express sincere gratitude to President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa for the legalization of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
“This is a testament to the mantra that Zimbabwe is open for business. Industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis are versatile crops whose immense benefits are yet to be fully realized by the nation,” she said.
Ncube noted that Zimbabwe boasted one of the best regulatory environments in Africa to support the growth of this farming sub-sector. “We also need to fine-tune our regulations so that they conform with the Zimbabwean setup. There are regulations in place, it’s a starting framework, but it needs to be refined.
“We heard that around 58 licenses were issued initially, and only seven are active now. This indicates some challenges we are facing in the process, but we need to fine-tune that to capacitate our farmers,” Ncube said.
Ncube acknowledged that, as the sector’s value chains were still emerging, players faced a range of challenges that have not gone unnoticed. “Some of the challenges include, but are not limited to, local seeds and the high cost of production. But with unity of purpose, these challenges are surmountable,” she said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the field day, Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) Chief Executive Officer, Clever Isaya applauded Minister Ncube’s efforts to secure a sponsor for the 40 out grower farmers in the Matabeleland region, calling it a step in the right direction in boosting production of industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis.
He pointed out that a significant barrier for many farmers wishing to participate in this value chain, particularly smallholder farmers, is the cost of cultivating CBD flowers, which ranges from US$10,000 to US$80,000 per hectare. Despite these challenges, Isaya said that AMA had set an ambitious target to plant 46,5 hectares of industrial hemp in the 2024/2025 season.
“We don’t want to leave anyone or any place behind, so in that aspect, we have Kutsaga looking into the production of local varieties, and we also have financial institutions exploring funding models to promote the production of industrial hemp.
“There’s quite a lot happening in the background to ensure we can promote the growth of industrial hemp. That’s why we have asked for what we can do to promote this value chain to a sustainable level,” said Isaya.
“There are a number of interventions coming from the government to ensure that we can promote sustainable production of industrial hemp. These include training, research and cheap financing to upcoming farmers,” he said.
Globally, the industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis market size was US$7.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD $9.47 billion in 2024 to USD $47.2 billion in 2032.
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