In North America’s hemp industry, 2019 may be remembered as the year that the CBD craze hit its peak. The obsession with growing hemp for CBD, or cannabidiol, was impossible to miss at farm conferences and hemp trade shows across North America last year. Jeff Kostuik remembers the enthusiasm for CBD at those meetings, particularly […] Read more
Marketing key in hemp sector
Advance research into markets and agronomy is vital for those who want to grow hemp. Jeff Kostiuk of Hemp Genetics International fields calls from producers interested in growing what could be a lucrative crop, but they have to know ahead of time how to plant it and later market it. “You have to realize what […] Read more
CBD oil bright spot for hemp
Hemp is an emerging crop for Canada where supporters see endless possibilities for a plant that yields food, fibre and pharmaceuticals. There is considerable interest in cannabidiol (CBD) but it remains a controlled substance around the world because governments want to ensure it is safe with no long-term negative effects. CBD is not addictive but […] Read more
Soaring CBD demand may drive hemp success
Industry forecasts are suggesting 450,000 acres of the crop and $1 billion worth of industrial sales are in the future
There are high hopes for Canada’s hemp industry. New interest and revised regulations have encouraged processing facilities and growers to spring up from coast to coast. The goal is to find markets for the entire product so grain, fibre and leaves all have value. The challenges of growing and marketing an emerging crop were addressed […] Read more
Hemp’s sustainable success rises with use of whole plant
Prairie farmers need another profitable crop for their rotations to relieve the pressure on canola to pay the bills. Hemp might be that crop. Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis a year ago, unleashing a torrent of investment and news coverage, but for broadacre farmers, that is important only in that it also added […] Read more
Cannabis facilities put on Alberta’s tax radar
Production operations were treated as agriculture buildings with a zero tax rate, but heavier municipal taxes now allowed
The Alberta government plans to allow municipalities to hike taxes on cannabis industrial operations, a move that would allow counties to generate more revenue. Municipal Affairs Minister Kaycee Madu announced the changes at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta convention Nov. 13 in Edmonton, saying it was done in response to concerns from county leaders. “It […] Read more
Hempseed needs innovation boost, says industry
Demand could jump rapidly, as cannabinoid draws interest, but industry says more Canadian processors needed
Farmers who can sell their hempseed can make good money. But few farmers are able to do that because Canada only has a few processors, hemp is used in a limited range of products, and there isn’t enough consumer demand to justify a significant acreage, says a major hemp production player. However, general hempseed demand […] Read moreCapturing protein trend business means setting up processors
How do you capture the heart of an industry that is footloose and fancy-free? That’s something prairie people should be pondering, says the University of Manitoba’s Barry Prentice, because Western Canada has the chance to grab hold of the present boom in plant processing. But it could as easily end up elsewhere, he warned. “Where […] Read more
Canada must act to cash in on plant protein trend
There’s a golden opportunity in front of Western Canada, but plant protein processing potential could pop up somewhere else if prairie people don’t grab it. That was a message threaded through a number of presentations made by grain, food and logistics experts speaking at the Fields on Wheels conference Nov. 1. “There is opportunity. We […] Read more
For many U.S. farmers who planted hemp, CBD boom leaves bitter taste
(Reuters) – Dan Maclure planted eight acres of hemp on his Vermont farm for the first time this year, aiming to cash in on the exploding demand for CBD, a derivative of the plant reputed to ease anxiety and other ills without the high of its close cousin, marijuana. He persevered when some of his […] Read more
