HEMP grower Phil Reader is no hobby farmer.
Mr Reader, who farms on 260ha at Bishopsbourne in northern Tasmania, said hemp minus the pshyco-active drug normally associated with some varieties of cannabis had the potential to be a broad-acre food crop and a major job spinner.
He said the budding industry still had to overcome some stigma attached to the plant but more importantly the associated political intransigence.
Five weeks ago he planted his first commercial hemp crop, after a decade of trials and lobbying.
The fast-growing plants are already half-a-metre and by the time their seed is harvested in early March, they will be about shoulder height.
Mr Reader is one of five Tasmanian growers contracted by Queensland company Ecofibre Industries.
He said Tasmania appeared best-placed to produce seed, which could be cold-pressed to produce a healthy oil or ground into a flour.
“The oil has all of the good omegas, three, six and nine,” he said.
Also, the fibrous stems make quality garden mulch, which is being processed and bagged in Tasmania for Mitre 10 garden centres, but a state hemp-fibre industry to produce paper or textiles was not likely soon because of the lack of an appropriate mill.
Mr Reader said hemp industries were well established in Canada, China, France and New Zealand but Tasmania’s was withering because of a Federal and State Government over-reaction.
He said a harmless, drug-free plant shouldn’t require state licences to grow, transport, store and process.
And the Federal Government has banned hemp-based food for human consumption but most other nations, including NZ, have approved it.
