CALGARY – A crop that raises eyebrows has received growth approval on one hectare of land in northern Alberta.
Hemp, a crop grown for thousands of years for fibre and its protein-rich seeds, will be grown for research purposes north of Barrhead. Growers involved are quick to point out that while hemp is a member of the cannabis family, it doesn’t have the same street value or use as its cousin, marijuana.
Nevertheless, authorities are cautious as the Northwest Peat and Crop Development Association grows the first crop on the Canadian Prairies in more than 50 years.
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Location of the research plot is secret and no unauthorized visitors are allowed, said Fiona Briody. She is manager of the peat and crop development association and heads the research team. The association was formed in 1980 by northern producers to experiment with various crops that could be grown successfully in peat soils.
The research plot is in a wooded grey soil zone, so its performance can be measured under more ordinary conditions, said Briody.
Seed imported
The licence to grow the crop for one year was granted in April and seed obtained from England went into the ground May 31.
English farmers grew about 3,000 hectares last year under a special license. Hemp is used in the textile industry and some hemp stocks are used in horse stables because it breaks down faster than cereal straw, said Briody.
Researchers will study the crop as it matures throughout the season and progress will be videotaped and photographed. The growing season is expected to be 90 to 100 days.
When the crop emerged the seedlings resembled nettles without the sting, said Briody.
The idea to start growing hemp as a cash crop came from producer members of the development association. That was the easy part. Cutting red tape and dealing with the federal agriculture department, health and welfare and the RCMP have been the most trying part of the project, she said.
Climate, fertilizer testing
Part of the crop was planted with a research seed drill and another with a conventional seed drill. Tests throughout the season will monitor how the crop responds to fertilizers, climate and other farming practices. It will be cut with a sickle mower and baled in round bales.
To collect the fibre, hemp can be harvested before seeds are set, or combined later to collect seed for food production.
Tests on the fibre will be made at a Whitecourt pulp mill and at the University of Alberta. The fibre can be made into paper or cloth.
Rumors that the crop could be worth millions of dollars were downplayed by Briody.
“We really want to make sure there’s a market for it before we start saying this is something we should look into.”
Her association hopes the crop succeeds in the north, where it is close to pulp mills and would provide an alternative for northern producers.
“It seems all the special crops are for the south, so if this does well, we’d like to keep it in the north.”
Hemp can be mistaken for marijuana because the plants look the same. But anyone smoking hemp will be disappointed because hemp has an extremely low content of THC, a mood-altering chemical.
Hemp as a prairie cash crop was banned in the United States in 1937 and Canada in 1938. Special licences to grow it were allowed during the Second World War when it was used for cloth.
