A 10,000-acre hemp crop is about to be planted.
Seed sellers and industry promoters have discovered it is an appealing new frontier for chemical-free farming.
“We have a market for organic oil that we couldn’t fulfill,” said Martin Moravcik, an executive with Consolidated Growers and Processors, a Winnipeg seed seller.
Dave Hutchinson, of Western Grower Seed Corporation in Saskatoon, said more than 80 percent of the hemp acres his company contracts will be organic.
Hemp can be used for oil and fibre. The most lucrative use now, Hutchinson said, is to crush the oil for the health food markets.
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Rick Plotnikoff, managing director of the Canadian Hemp Farmers Association, said he expects about 10,000 acres of hemp to be planted across Canada. Most will be grown in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, he predicted.
While some growers are putting in up to 500 acres, most are sticking close to the 10-acre minimum the federal government demands, Plotnikoff said.
Hutchinson’s company is contracting about 500 acres altogether, and suggests people start small.
“We are not encouraging people to plant a substantial acreage,” he said. “It’s a new experience for them.”
Moravcik said his company will probably not contract more than about 1,000 acres this year: “There’s a demand for far more, but we’re being cautious.”
