Industrial hemp is now legal to
grow in Canada for the first time in over 60 years. Experienced
and inexperienced farmers are learning for the first time that industrial
hemp, which is grown for its fibre and oil, is a challenging crop
to grow, and especially to harvest. They are also learning that
the market for industrial hemp based products is not developing
as quickly as had been expected.
Cannabis sativa (hemp) is
an annual plant that dies once flowering and seed production are
complete. It can grow to a height of nine metres, but is generally
between two and four metres tall. Plant breeders have developed
a low-THC form of the hemp plant, known as industrial hemp, which
is distinct from the high THC form, generally called marijuana.
The hemp plant produces three main
types of crops - fibre, grain
and certified seed. Please click here for detailed chart
on "Modern Uses for Hemp"
Cultivators of the hemp plant must abide by a number of regulations
governing licensing, minimum plot sizes, location, THC sampling,
and the destruction of portions of the plant at harvest. Only approved
varieties can be grown and detailed records must be kept in order
to provide a paper trail. Due to their lack of THC, the possession
of mature stalks and fibres from commercial hemp is not controlled.
Therefore, once the plant has been harvested, its fibre and related
fibre products are no longer regulated.
The key question is whether hemp
represents a viable crop for the agricultural sector or a feedstock
for value-added products in the South Okanagan and Boundary
Region. The development of the hemp sector in the Region faces a
number of unique and substantial challenges that differentiate it
from other regions of Canada. The most significant obstacle is the
requirement for a large land base upon which to grow industrial
hemp. This indicates that the Region must adopt a sector development
strategy that is different from the template being used in other
parts of Canada. Accordingly, the strategy that has been developed
focuses on building a "cluster" of cottage industry businesses
that have more to do with tourism, consumer products and R &
D opportunities. Research indicates that the Region should be able
to supply enough harvested seed and fibre to support the development
of the identified niche oriented business opportunities.
A number of development projects,
research targets and pre-feasibility business plans were identified
and developed during the course of the study:
Development Projects
 |
the ability of hemp manufacturers
to satisfy the requirements of their consumer and/or industrial
markets;
|
|
the ability of the hemp sector
to shift hemp based products from the alternative or niche
product markets into the mainstream consumer and industrial
markets;
|
|
the competitive nature of
hemp based products in terms of prices, quality, distribution
and promotion;
|
|
competition by substitution
of existing product groups (flax, cotton, sources of essential
fatty acids, etc.);
|
|
the market for hemp feedstock
(raw fibre and seeds) and processing material (textiles and
oil); and,
|
|
advancements in harvesting
and production technology and their impact on the development
and marketing of consumer and industrial hemp based products. |
