The Sunday Mail
Word From The Market
The Government of Zimbabwe legalised the growing of industrial hemp in 2020 through the Agricultural Marketing Authority (Industrial Hemp Regulations), 2020 (Statutory Instrument 218 of 2020). Industrial hemp is basically a type of cannabis sativa and any of its derivatives with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Because of its many uses and potential to earn foreign currency for the country, there have been growing calls from various stakeholders for farmers to take up the crop.
Industrial hemp can be refined into a variety of industrial and commercial items, including paper, rope, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed. The crop is therefore a vital and strategic component and raw material for the manufacturing industry. The need for extensive awareness in industrial hemp production is therefore critical to equip farmers with as much information as is needed.
The Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) is the regulatory body that governs the farming of industrial hemp in Zimbabwe.
A permit is required for one to lawfully cultivate, possess, sell, supply or export industrial hemp. AMA issues three types of permits; a general cultivator’s permit, a research and breeding permit, and industrial hemp merchant’s permit. For the current season, there are 11 registered industrial hemp merchants which is an increase from 7 who initially registered in 2021.
For the successful production of industrial hemp, it is important to abide by the set regulations to ensure the required quality is achieved for both value addition and to meet the standards for export.
All cultivators of industrial hemp must ensure that information is provided to AMA regarding the type of industrial hemp product intended to be produced, the variety of seed to be sown, the source of the seed, the premises at which industrial hemp is to be cultivated, the GPS coordinates of the proposed cultivation area and any other information as may be requested to ensure quality and standards are maintained.
The possession and supply of authorised industrial hemp seed is also subject to a permit. Only certified hemp seed must be used for cultivation of industrial hemp, that is seed that has been certified and registered with recognised international seed registration authorities and the Zimbabwean Seed Services.
The required standard for allowed seed is that the plant from which the seed derives has a concentration of THC in the leaves and flowering heads of not more than 0.3 percent.
Industrial hemp cultivation requires high levels of discipline and security measures must also be put in place by permit holders. Standard operating procedures must be developed and implemented for all activities during cultivation of industrial hemp.
The procedures must be in accordance with the Good Agricultural Practices as issued from time to time by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. Good harvesting practices ensure that the appropriate quality product is obtained for the intended use of industrial hemp.
Quality is important and it is the responsibility of the cultivator to ensure quality of both the plant and seed as well as take up training where necessary.
Information management and record keeping is also key in industrial hemp cultivation.
The regulations require registers to be maintained by permit holders and these include seed register, cultivation register and harvest register. Equally, hemp seed suppliers must also ensure information relating to supply, quantities, and dates of supply is kept.
The increase in the participation of industrial hemp production justifies the need for investments in processing machinery to complete the value chain.
The Authority is lobbying for a revision of the THC levels to at least one percent to increase the competitiveness of the industry within the SADC region.
◆ This article was written by Peter Mudzimiri, AMA Head of Compliance. Word from the market is a weekly column produced by the Agricultural Marketing Authority. Feedback [email protected] or [email protected]
