Director General for the Authority, Dr. Ketulo Salipira, says farmers are banking on foreign investors for technical information.

“Most of them are financial and others are capacity challenges but many are linking up with financial institutions and others are working with investors to help them with financial support for their businesses.

“Technically, investors especially those from outside the country have the know-how so we are banking on them to help with technical information when it comes to ground work,” he said.

Dr. Salipira, however, says expectations are high that more farmers will roll out the farming this year.

“After licensing them, many started putting up structures on the ground and sourcing funds. But we are optimistic that many of them are going to start this year.

“We have promises, others are coming to see where they are going to do the production,” he said.

Economic expert, Milward Tobias, says investors should look beyond financial institutions for support.

Technically, Tobias says the challenges “are genuine because this is the first year for the country to start growing cannabis. Farmers should learn from others outside the country or they can go online and learn.”

About five investors rolled out the farming out of over 100 licensed.

The crop estimates will be determined at least by mid this year, according to Dr. Salipira.