Zimbabwe has begun harvesting its first crop of legally cultivated industrial hemp after it decriminalised cannabis in 2018 to tap into the multi-billion-dollar industry.
Last year, the Zimbabwe Industrial Hemp Trust (ZIHT) planted five varieties of European industrial cannabis on a 10-hectare plot at Harare Central Prison.
Preliminary results show that of the five varieties planted, only two performed well, with poor rains and high temperatures being blamed.
The results also showed that the crops grew and budded quicker than anticipated. ZIHT founder Dr Zorodzai Maroveke said they are now testing the varieties around the country.
“We have been harvesting the industrial hemp and so far we have sent some tests to the University of Zimbabwe to check for chemical components,” she said. “We are now doing data collection and trials on the European varieties that we planted. We have since realised that the performance has been very poor on three of the European varieties, and only two performed really well."
Read more at thezimbabwemail.com
