(photo courtesy Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers)

 

 

The summer of 2010 was a tough one for hemp production in Manitoba.

"I was supposed to put 350 acres in. I got the first 50 in and then it rained so much that it drowned that all out and we never got the rest of the acres in," says Chris Dzisiak, president of Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers. "So we only ended up with a fraction of the total planned hemp in the area. Ther was some hemp produced. Some fields were alright, some were poor and many were destroyed, but it will be a minor production year in the big picture."

Dzisiak notes hemp is sensitive to moisture in the early stages. "When hemp is young, in the seedling stage, it is very adversely affected by water. Once it is six or eight inches high, it can handle water," he says.

Yields ranged from three to five hundred pounds per acre. Traditionally, yields have been in the range of six to eight hundred pounds per acre, with the odd field surpassing a thousand pounds per acre.

Dzisiak says he expects hemp acres in the province will drop next year. "How much will be grown is really being dictated by the price of canola and wheat. With 11 and 12 dollar potential canola prices the price of hemp is going to have to go up. Why would you grow hemp if you can make more money growing canola?"

~ Friday, November 19, 2010 ~