Hemp crop sees good yields as reported by Grainews

Grainews and Resource News International recently reported on the the 2010 hemp crop from Canada and it seems yields were good.

Canada’s hemp crop came off in reasonably good shape this year, despite some problems with excessive moisture earlier in the growing season.

The article goes on to add the crop is grown across Canada, but the majority of the acres are in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  No mention of Canadian authorities mis-identifying industrial hemp and medical marijuana.  But does go on to add up the pounds of hemp seed Canadian farmers out produce their counterparts here in United States of America, land of the free.

Average yields for hemp grown in Canada usually work out to around 20 bushels per acre, or 880 pounds per acre. Hermann said results for this year’s crop were showing yields in the 800 to 1,000 pounds per acre range for conventionally grown hempseed and 900 to 1,200 pounds per acre on the organic side.

Once again genetics comes into play when dealing with the never changing latitude and longitude of your acreage.  Wisconsin farmers know that northern climate crops are key and land used wisely yields the most, the longest.  Wisconsin farmers can enhance the industrial hemp stock, rather than Wisconsin law enforcement agencies eradicate feral hemp, commonly known as “ditchweed”.

More producers were growing newer Canadian-bred cultivars designed for the country’s conditions, she noted.

Yields are great in the field, but pounds of hemp seeds need to be turned into some sort of paycheck or all that work just went up in smoke.

From a pricing standpoint, hemp is all grown on a contracted basis, with prices to the grower this past year generally in the 50 to 60 cents per pound area for conventionally grown hempseed and $1 per pound for organic seed, said Hermann.

Currently the industry is primarily focused on the seed side of the coin, as that’s where the most processing capacity lies. However, Hermann said more interest is also being shown on processing hemp for its fibre, with initiatives in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

Just another reason Wisconsin should move FORWARD with comprehensive marijuana reform, including medical marijuana and recreational cannabis.  Industrial hemp grown for food, fuel and fiber could produce the extra coins Wisconsin farmers and job sectors so desperately need.

And like the interview said, do not through away the waste product (stalks) from growing hemp for seed, that just might be more than feed.

And hemp grows very quickly, as compared to trees.