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John Hall has had his hemp plantation raided about a dozen times, not by police but by thieves stupid enough to think it may be worth a fortune.
It isn't, not yet anyway, but the Bundaberg canegrower is hopeful that with a bit of help from the Government it can grow into a $100 million industry supplying timber-like products, fibre and foods.
The big difference between Mr Hall's hemp crop and the illegal ones is that his plants have minimal tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the powerful compound that gives users a high.
"You'd have to smoke so much of it you would be more likely to die of carbon monoxide poisoning before you got high,'' Industrial Hemp Association president John Hall said.
"It's like selling Claytons.''
But the resin from the plant is proving very powerful for other reasons.
The CSIRO has teamed up to use the industrial hemp to create a resin-based plastic that is now being tested in pallets and potentially in the timber industry.
"If the Newman Government wants to double agriculture it will need new industries and we are talking about 200,000 tonnes over the next 10 years which is about $100 million,'' Mr Hall said.
Small licensed crops are dotted around southeast Queensland as well as in Victoria and NSW and the CSIRO handed almost $2 million to one company in NSW to help develop in the pallet business.
Biofiba produces a natural composite made from hemp fibre and natural starches, replacing timber, plastic and polystyrene in the manufacture of export pallets.
It can eventually degrade into garden mulch.
The industrial hemp crops so far take up only about 50ha but there are plans to build that to 20,000ha if the right investment and legislative support can be developed.
There is also demand from organic food retailers, but as yet the Federal Government will not allow it to be used as a food. It also compares well as a fibre for clothing.
"There are a number of companies at the cusp of manufacturing and processing,'' Mr Hall said.
"Next year they will start and we will have a market for farmers to sell to. At the moment there is nowhere to sell to and processors want thousands of tonnes and its tough getting commercial quantities.
"It's a big jump, but it will happen.''
"Investment is the thing. Everyone is waiting.''
The hemp crops are strictly run under government licence and are tested for THC levels.
Mr Hall said the legal crops even managed to push out illegal ones from some areas because of cross pollination.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: couriermail.com.au
Author: John McCarthy
Contact: No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
Website: No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
It isn't, not yet anyway, but the Bundaberg canegrower is hopeful that with a bit of help from the Government it can grow into a $100 million industry supplying timber-like products, fibre and foods.
The big difference between Mr Hall's hemp crop and the illegal ones is that his plants have minimal tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the powerful compound that gives users a high.
"You'd have to smoke so much of it you would be more likely to die of carbon monoxide poisoning before you got high,'' Industrial Hemp Association president John Hall said.
"It's like selling Claytons.''
But the resin from the plant is proving very powerful for other reasons.
The CSIRO has teamed up to use the industrial hemp to create a resin-based plastic that is now being tested in pallets and potentially in the timber industry.
"If the Newman Government wants to double agriculture it will need new industries and we are talking about 200,000 tonnes over the next 10 years which is about $100 million,'' Mr Hall said.
Small licensed crops are dotted around southeast Queensland as well as in Victoria and NSW and the CSIRO handed almost $2 million to one company in NSW to help develop in the pallet business.
Biofiba produces a natural composite made from hemp fibre and natural starches, replacing timber, plastic and polystyrene in the manufacture of export pallets.
It can eventually degrade into garden mulch.
The industrial hemp crops so far take up only about 50ha but there are plans to build that to 20,000ha if the right investment and legislative support can be developed.
There is also demand from organic food retailers, but as yet the Federal Government will not allow it to be used as a food. It also compares well as a fibre for clothing.
"There are a number of companies at the cusp of manufacturing and processing,'' Mr Hall said.
"Next year they will start and we will have a market for farmers to sell to. At the moment there is nowhere to sell to and processors want thousands of tonnes and its tough getting commercial quantities.
"It's a big jump, but it will happen.''
"Investment is the thing. Everyone is waiting.''
The hemp crops are strictly run under government licence and are tested for THC levels.
Mr Hall said the legal crops even managed to push out illegal ones from some areas because of cross pollination.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: couriermail.com.au
Author: John McCarthy
Contact: No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
Website: No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
