Canadian Farmers Expect Bumper
Hemp Crop:
"It seems to like the drought,
because it is coming along very well compared with other crops."
DEAland Farmers Left Out.
(Marijuananews note: While the DEA stalls,
DEAland farmers suffer from both the drought and low crop prices. Marijuana prohibition
hurts even people who have no interest in marijuana.)See
Consolidated Growers
And Processors Delivers 100 Tons Of Hemp Seed To Manitoba
Via World’s Largest Cargo Plane
August 17, 1999
From The London Ontario Free Press
letters@lfpress.com
http://www.canoe.ca/LondonFreePress/home.html
By John Miner, Free Press Regional Reporter
BUMPER HEMP CROP EXPECTED
Just weeks away from the start of harvest, this year's hemp crop is looking excellent,
according to a Chatham area processor.
"It seems to like the drought because it is coming along very well compared with
other crops," said Bob L'Ecuyer, general manager at Kenex Ltd.
L'Ecuyer said the harvest should start in early September.
This is the second year hemp has been legally grown as a
commercial crop in Canada. It is still banned in the United States.
Kenex Ltd. is one of two companies that has set up processing facilities. The other,
Hempline Inc., is based in Delaware.
Kenex has about 800 hectares growing this summer, mostly in Kent County, while
Delaware's Hempline has contracted for about 400 hectares from farmers in Elgin,
Middlesex, Perth, Oxford and Lambton counties.
Because of its close association with marijuana, the crop is strictly controlled by the
federal government with farmers required to obtain licences. Last year there were
complaints the government was too slow in approving licences.
L'Ecuyer said there was a similar problem this spring with delays in approval.
See
Ottawa
Sun Describes Bureaucratic Delays In Allowing Hemp Cultivation
Hemp can be used in dozens of products, from textiles to automotive parts.
With commercial production established, the markets are now starting to open up,
L'Ecuyer said.
"The fibre market is developing well. We have just landed
some fairly major sales in the auto industry in the last month," he said.
See
Hemp
Blended Into Auto Parts Shown At Detroit Automotive Engineers Trade Show
Interest among farmers in growing the crop is keen, he said.
"There is definitely more requests than we have acreage
for," he said.
Copyright: 1999 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media Corporation.
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