The Lucknow Sentinel, 1998-03-18, Page 54U
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Page 38 - paint Progress "9lt
auada'
• front page 31
panies from the Canadian
prairies interested in grow-
ing hemp there,
airket in united States
Although. ,it's still ille-
gal to grovehemp there,
the U.S., presently enjoys a
$15 -million per year hemp
textile :business, and it's
growing, says Ur. "A
market is there with excel.
lent job creation here in
Canada,"
As far as growing hemp,
Ur says "we're five years
ahead of the Ainerieans
(in primary production)."
Capital spending deci-
sions must be made this
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sahead .o.f States
month by all the compa-
nies investing in hemp
production, '"Missing, this
opportunity will cause
them telose one whore
year of market develop.
Intent efforts, not to men-
tion financial losses. One
of thereasons this market
is unique is that industrial
hemp can't yet :hegrown
in the U.S., but the fibre
andseed products are in
strong demand there. We
must seize this export
opportunity and capitalize
on it, * says. Ur.
Economic Potential
"When our research
realized the economic
potential for southwestern
Ontario; it: made uspro,
ceed with the idea to
process for,texttie •indus'-
try, said Kime, It's the
bast fibre in hemp that
rxiakes it commercially
significant, And there's
more money to bemade
turning hemp fibre into
textiles, like carpeting,
than there is making it into,
paper or particleboard.
"Hemp is a replacement
for glass fibre. It.eompetes
with high eiid fibre."
Hemp is an efficientplant
since.even'the waste fibres
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:782 Havelock Street" Lucknow
519) 528-3118 ; Fax (518) 528-2814
can be used for paper
.making.
"Evepthing .coming off
from the mill• will have a
market," says Kime..
"There is no waste."
Another whole area of
hemp production is. hemp
seed which ,contains some
unique fatty acids which
can be used for cosmetic
Products and other things.
"The prairies are looking
at growing hemp for seed;
You leave it on the land
longer to harvest.. the
seed." •
When youdo that, says
Kittle, , you coal, produce
textile grade fibre because
it'.$ left growing longer.
"The fibre gets stiff and
coarse•.in:.an attempt to
held the seed up
""The idea OE:growing:
textile fibre is new to
Canada'or s'outhwester'n
'Ontario. It takes a •bit of
time to understand. This
(hemp) is the eotton.erot
of the north.'`The process-
ing strategy is not that W.-
' n
if-feren. Uut.
few people (in Canada)
don't`knowanything about
Cotton."
' . Growing Hemp
The first step for farm-
ers interestedingrowing
hemp is obtaining a
licence from Health
Canada and then getting
seed from an approved
supplier. Hemp seed cast
be planted by using a
wheat drill at seven -and -a-
half inch spacing,'"There's
no modifications to .be
made. lust calibrate the
drillto plant at the right
rate,' says Kirne. At 400
plants per square metre,,
hemp is a very dense crop,
NO ,pestieides•'are' needed.
Bedtp is the best smother
crop for all kinds' of
weeds,, It does well in.
loam -based soils with lots
of organic.. material. It
doesn't do well in heavy
clay. For fibre, it's harvest-
ed in early .August:
• "Bailers" have to have
modifications on the pick.
up head to prevent wrap-
ping of stalk because it's, a
long fibre," says Kime,
Farmers "with bailers can:.
pick up a,kit from John:.
Deere for coarse stalk
material that will work
well for harvesting hemp.
Depending on the end use
of .the plant, sickle bar
mowers can alsobe used.
• • Hemp grows to around
JO feet tall in 74 to 80
days.
it Won't Do Some
' Think •
Although it's being
pitched as a 'miracle crop'
with no pesticides 404
good rnarket opportunities,
Kime, said, it's a corntnod*
ity crop competing 'with
other fibres. "We've fig.
ured out what ,it won't be.
it won't be a replacement
for trees. It, won't be the
plant that saves the world.
It won't cause an increase
itr marijuana use."