Shisha tobacco growers in Zimbabwe have experienced robust sales, with over a third of their crop being sold within a mere four days, according to data from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), The Zimbabwe Mail reports.
The sales amounted to a striking total of USD 660,000, with the product fetching an average of USD 3.62 per kilogram. From the 2,385 bales offered, 162 bales, or 6.79 per cent, were rejected by buyers. The current average price marks a 15 per cent increase from the average price of the previous season in 2023.
Despite the favourable prices, the profitability of shisha tobacco cultivation for growers lags behind that of flue-cured tobacco, as pointed out by George Seremwe, the Chairman of the Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association. He highlighted that shisha leaf production is less capital-intensive but yields lesser returns than the conventional flue-cured variety.
Shisha tobacco, while still a form of flue-cured tobacco, is derived from imported seeds and necessitates distinct agronomic practices. In order to attain the sought-after low nicotine content, tobacco fields are densely sown, resulting in fierce nutrient competition among the plants.
In Zimbabwe, Cavendish Lloyd is the sole merchant registered and licenced with the TIMB to trade in shisha leaf, the report said.