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A long-awaited Tasmanian Parliamentary inquiry draft report into a Tasmanian industrial hemp industry is complete.
That's what inquiry chairman Brenton Best MP, told the Tasmanian Industrial Hemp Association annual general meeting.
The inquiry recommendations are seen as a key to increasing the area sown in Tasmania from a minor to a staple crop, and to securing investment for processing the oilseed or fibre.
Association president, Phil Reader, says while MP Brenton Best hasn't said when the report will be tabled in Parliament, it's possible in the next 30 days.
"We're hoping it will be in the [House of Assembly] sitting around the 20th August," he said.
"Hopefully there'll be positive outcomes....so that some guidelines will be clarified; some of the restrictions that we've got on the industry."
The Industrial Hemp Association says it has found anomalies in the way Tasmanian departments of health, justice, primary industry and police have been applying industrial hemp growing guidelines.
"They all tend to put a bit of a slant on the conditions around our licence," he said.
"It's no particular fault of anyone concerned, it's just how these things happen, but it has shown that there are not as many restrictions as they have tried to police.
"It won't do away with having to get a licence, and we support that.
"It's in the public interest to know where crops are being grown and how much is grown.
"But it will make a difference in terms of location for farmers concerned, on where they grow that crop."
Currently two companies, Midland Seeds and Ecofibre Industries Operations, are active in Tasmania.
Phil Reader says together they account for about 100 hectares of industrial hemp grown in the state, but there's far more potential.
"This last season we've had good results, which have come from the trials that we've been doing.
"At long last we've seen a positive return and this is just from seed production.
"We've had yields of clean seen of at least 1 tonne to the hectare.
"So we're having positive returns with gross margins now and that's only the starting point.
"We can improve a lot on what we are doing, so I'm quite enthusiastic about where we can go with yields and return."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: abc.net.au
Author: Rosemary Grant
Contact: Contact ABC Rural - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Website: Tasmanian industrial hemp inquiry draft complete - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
That's what inquiry chairman Brenton Best MP, told the Tasmanian Industrial Hemp Association annual general meeting.
The inquiry recommendations are seen as a key to increasing the area sown in Tasmania from a minor to a staple crop, and to securing investment for processing the oilseed or fibre.
Association president, Phil Reader, says while MP Brenton Best hasn't said when the report will be tabled in Parliament, it's possible in the next 30 days.
"We're hoping it will be in the [House of Assembly] sitting around the 20th August," he said.
"Hopefully there'll be positive outcomes....so that some guidelines will be clarified; some of the restrictions that we've got on the industry."
The Industrial Hemp Association says it has found anomalies in the way Tasmanian departments of health, justice, primary industry and police have been applying industrial hemp growing guidelines.
"They all tend to put a bit of a slant on the conditions around our licence," he said.
"It's no particular fault of anyone concerned, it's just how these things happen, but it has shown that there are not as many restrictions as they have tried to police.
"It won't do away with having to get a licence, and we support that.
"It's in the public interest to know where crops are being grown and how much is grown.
"But it will make a difference in terms of location for farmers concerned, on where they grow that crop."
Currently two companies, Midland Seeds and Ecofibre Industries Operations, are active in Tasmania.
Phil Reader says together they account for about 100 hectares of industrial hemp grown in the state, but there's far more potential.
"This last season we've had good results, which have come from the trials that we've been doing.
"At long last we've seen a positive return and this is just from seed production.
"We've had yields of clean seen of at least 1 tonne to the hectare.
"So we're having positive returns with gross margins now and that's only the starting point.
"We can improve a lot on what we are doing, so I'm quite enthusiastic about where we can go with yields and return."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: abc.net.au
Author: Rosemary Grant
Contact: Contact ABC Rural - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Website: Tasmanian industrial hemp inquiry draft complete - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
