CONTRACT FARMING

NATURE OF BUSINESS

Shasha Tobacco operates a FLUE- CURED VIRGINIA (FCV) tobacco contract program in Zimbabwe. Shasha Tobacco values all its growers, we endeavor to assist them in value addition and financial freedom. Our agronomy team seek out and sign legally binding contracts with identified potential growers through a thorough vetting procedure. Shasha Tobacco agrees to provide all the necessary inputs, technical services, the transportation of inputs to their farm and the option of transporting their FCV tobacco to the market at a reasonable fee. In return our growers with the assistance of our knowledgeable agronomy team are expected to grow FCV tobacco according to good sustainable agriculture practices. Our tobacco program is of a high ethical standards. We ensure that all our growers are following the TIMB Agriculture labor Practices (ALP) code, which bans the use of child labour in tobacco production amongst other practices. Our expert leaf techs regularly conduct farmer training sessions along with scheduled visits to each grower to ensure they are using environmentally friendly farming methods in the growing and curing of their tobacco. Our tobacco contract scheme constitutes of small scale growers, who make up 70 % of the scheme and also constitutes of medium to commercial growers who make up for the remaining 30% of the scheme.

GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

Good agricultural practices (GAP) are a set of standards, guidelines and principles which are implemented in agriculture to promote the safety of the environment, sustainability of crop production and improve the welfare of people involved in agriculture as well as the safety of consumers of agricultural products. Good agricultural practices encompass a wide range of subjects,which includes of Agriculture Labour practices (ALP), Sustainable tobacco programme (STP) and Non – Tobacco Related Material (NTRM).