The Rural Voice, 1998-08, Page 22GA RDINER
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18 THE RURAL VOICE
On a hot day in July, Jeff Dudgeon stands
good.
Bob Lecuyer, the general manager
of Kenex said Secuieni is a variety
that puts a lot of energy into its root
system. By the time it gets to be 5-6
inches tall it starts shooting up.
Hemp plants can grow to 12 feet
but they average eight feet. The
plants grow quickly, averaging two
inches of growth a day if conditions
are right.
Secuieni is one of 10 hemp
varieties Kenex is selling this year.
Prices for seed range from $3.30-
$3.75 per pound.
OMAFRA estimates that 3,000
acres of hemp were planted in
Ontario this year. Of the 2,000 acres
Kenex contracted farmers in the
Chatham area to plant, most of the
crops are doing well said Bob
Lecuyer.
"Kenex was talking about
growing 1,000 acres for seed," said
Jeff. "That would mean more seed
and cheaper prices for next year."
Health Canada is not allowing
farmers to keep their own seeds.
They want to keep a close eye on the
seeds so they can monitor THC
•
in his 10 -acre field of hemp in Paisley.
levels.
Before planting Jeff fertilized the
field with a fertilizer high in nitrogen.
Depending on soil tests, growers
fertilize with 90-120 pounds of
nitrogen to promote the rapid growth
of hemp. The fertilizer Jeff used was
the same as he would use for corn.
For this year's crop Jeff didn't
have to buy any new equipment. He
used his regular seed drill to plant the
field in rows seven inches apart. As
an experiment some of the rows are
planted 14 inches a part. This is still
considered close compared to Europe
where hemp is planted 30 inches
apart.
At three weeks, Jeff's field of
hemp was standing 4-5 inches tall
and was starting to grow fast. Fifty
days after a crop is planted growers
are required to take a sample of the
crop and send it to a Health Canada
office where they will test THC
levels.
It will still be a couple of months
before Jeff takes his combine to the
hemp field. While Europeans use
binders and hand machinery to take
their hemp crops off, Jeff said he will