Image above: Zimbabwwe finance minister Mthuli Ncube with Thathokuhle Farm’s Kerrie Mitchell and Mike Querl during his recent tour
Zimbabwe hemp farmer Mike Querl has won a major concession from the country’s government for his efforts to develop a sustainable and inclusive approach to developing the sector.
Zimbabwe Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube toured Querl’s Thathokuhle Farm on Friday 14 August 2026. He was impressed by Querl’s medicinal cannabis operation and the farmer’s proposal for an outgrower scheme, prompting him to make an offer to grant the farm tax-free zone status.
Querl dries and processes medicinal cannabis for export at the 44-hectare enterprise in Douglasdale, on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s second city, Bulawayo. The farm employs more than 80 permanent workers, hiring more at peak harvest periods.
“I was particularly impressed by the dedicated greenhouse sections, which utilise high-grade imported and locally cross-bred genetics, as well as the farm’s capacity to dry and prepare medicinal cannabis and related products for international markets,” wrote Ncube on X, following his visit. He praised the farm for its contribution to livelihoods and local economic activity.
“Recognising the importance of such investments in driving production, exports and job creation, I offered tax relief measures to support the farm’s continued growth and development,” added the minister, who described Thathokuhle as an initiative that can strengthen the country’s economy and competitively position its agriculture sector in international markets.
He also said the farm had great potential to generate forex and contribute meaningfully to the growth and diversification of Zimbabwe’s economy.
Other activities on the operation include fish farming, piggery, strawberries, dragon fruit and fig production.
Ncube also explained his decision to grant the farm favourable tax status came after farm management shared the challenges facing the enterprise and in appreciation of the full support required to unlock its full potential.
Querl’s outgrower scheme involves integrating small-scale farmers into structured medicinal cannabis and hemp production networks that resemble Zimbabwe’s traditional contract farming models for crops such as sugar cane and maize. The plan has been praised for its potential to yield high returns through multiple harvests per year for small-scale farmers.
Earlier this month, Ncube announced that Zimbabwe would slash registration and licensing fees for industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis by as much as 90% to attract investment, accelerate diversification efforts while creating jobs.
New licence fees:
– Industrial hemp now US$250, from US$500
– Annual farmer registration fee now US$50, from US$200
– Application processing fee now US$1 000, from US$10 000
– Five-year medicinal cannabis licence fee now US$15 000, from US$50 000
– Five-year licence renewal fee now US$7 500, from US$50 000
– Research fee now US$1 000, from US$5 000; inspection fee now US$400, from US$2,500 per inspection
– Penalty for late submission of annual returns, now US1 500, from US$15 000 per incident
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