Agricultural experts and researchers in Zimbabwe are working on research that could see the crossbreeding of local hemp genetics with foreign cannabis to curb the high costs associated with importing the product.
The development was revealed during an Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Field Day at Thatokuhle Farm in Bulawayo on Tuesday this week.
Kutsaga Research Station Kumbirai Mateva, who was representing chief executive, Frank Magama, said the main focus was to place Zimbabwe on the global map through cultivation of industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis.
“So our ongoing work in this sector is driven by a vision of basically placing Zimbabwe as a leader in this high potential leadership.
“It is not merely about economic gains but it is about sustainable development. Farmer empowerment as well as positioning Zimbabwe as a global innovator in cannabis cultivation and product development,” Mateva said.
He said the station was evaluating the foreign hemp for the purposes of lifting the burden of research for farmers that want to experiment with the seeds.
“The focus of our organisation has been on importing that is bringing in foreign genetics from across the globe, evaluating this industrial hemp and cannabis genetics from established sources globally.
“So what we have been doing is evaluating these foreign genetics so that the farmer does not have to take on that burden of research costs.
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Bulls to charge into Zimbabwe gold stocks
- Ndiraya concerned as goals dry up
- Letters: How solar power is transforming African farms
Keep Reading
“Another research is where we have been doing the bringing in of foreign genetics so that we test them in Zimbabwe.”
He also revealed that the sector was currently burdened by high seed costs due to seed imports.
“So what we have been doing in that area simultaneously, we have been prioritising the development of local cannabis varieties by sourcing these genetics from interesting locations such as Binga, Chimanimani and Chipinge among other places,” Mateva said.
“What we see here is trying to mirror that global recognition we see in regions like France. So for instance France is best known for wine, Ethiopia for coffee so why can’t we have Zimbabwe for cannabis?”
