by
Paul
Benhaimdemand ever increasing pesticides and herbicides reducing the
end value to the now not so well off farmer.
The re-introduction of hemp has been no simple task. The
distance from odd farmers and few and far between processors
can now be small. Due to the financial limitations of becoming
involved with what is economically seen as a risky investment (a
new industry is a non-necessary risk) machines have been
developed to work for a small farming co-operative situation. Such
hemp farming co-operatives are being setup worldwide where for
example, 10 farmers each grow 50-500ha all of which is
processed at an agreeably placed mini processing plant. Speak to
HFIA for details.
Such machines are often suited to one particular industry.
They may be designed to produce long clean fibres for the textile
industry, short fibres for pulp and the paper industry or another
quality for non-woven materials. Some co-operatives have
sensibly invested in harvesting machinery specifically aimed at
cultivation of the seed that works in conjunction with a seed
processing plant that is suitable for commercial oil production or
seed hulling. The co-operatives also include members other than
farmers, groups that can market the material and, or, increase the
value of the crop in some other way.
Whatever method is used, the basic idea is to upwardly
value the crop to entice farmers with a higher return than
conventional crops. Over the next 5-10 years this will mean the
availability of hemp raw materials increase, reducing prices
further. This shall gradually entice more manufacturers to supply a
society desperately in need of such a versatile and truly sufficient
crop. Hemp is quickly leaving the high priced niche markets that
have restricted its growth for so many years, and enters as a world
class economically viable and highly prized commodity.
Hemp, in some form or other, will be added to as many
different end products as petro-chemicals are today. The future is
green, the future is hemp. None of this can happen without