Agriculture
29 August, 2023
Hemp testing to start
THE first trials to process industrial hemp in Pyramid Hill are expected to start next month. Tom Smith has received planning approval from Loddon Shire to convert the former Bush’s pet food factory, last in operation in 2009, into a processing...
THE first trials to process industrialhemp in Pyramid Hill areexpected to start next month.
Tom Smith has received planningapproval from Loddon Shireto convert the former Bush’s petfood factory, last in operation in2009, into a processing plant.
However, Mr Smith said thisweek there were still hurdles tojump in plans to separate fibrefrom hemp plants and createproducts for industrial use.
He said suitable processingequipment was still being testedand growing sufficient quantityof hemp in the area was still to be achieved.
“We will run processing trialsin the coming weeks with equipmentthat can then separatehemp straw well but does nothave capacity for the quantity
required for the operation,” MrSmith said.
“We also need to prove wecan grow the hemp. Three of ustried last season but we werelate sowing and that didn’t resultin good germination in the clayloam soils.
"I will be putting in a significantamount of seed this year... we’re in no hurry as we needto prove we can grow the hempand also have the right gear inthe factory.”
Mr Smith said a minimum of5000 tonnes of hemp strawwould be needed to make theplant viable.
“That works out to about 500hectares of crop,” he said.
Mr Smith said demand for industrialhemp would increasewith the demise of timber logging.He said the strength and durabilityof hemp products could
loom as a replacement for housingconstruction.
“The demand will be there,” hesaid.
Mr Smith first floated establishing a processing plant in the old pet foot factory 12 months ago at meetings with local farmers.
Assisting Mr Smith has beenBrett Boag, a hemp innovatorand Founder at Hexcore HempProcessing, who last month saidindustrial hemp “in some applications
rivals steel”.
“As an industrial material it’sfar superior to so many productsand people don’t even knowabout it,” he said.
“Any kind of timber productsmade of hard or soft wood, hempis harder.”