Queensland country music star James Blundell has joined a new wave of farmers embracing the potential of industrial hemp as a multi-purpose crop and will open his farm gates for a hemp field day this week.
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Blundell is set to welcome current and potential growers, agronomists and processors at his Mt Malakoff property near Stanthorpe on March 1.
The event will feature a tour of the hemp crop planted last year as part of a three-year industrial hemp variety trial funded by AgriFutures Australia in partnership with The University of Sydney.
Blundell said he was keen to be involved in the trial to better understand which varieties performed well in his region.
He first became interested in growing industrial hemp more than 30 years ago.
"I was really drawn in by the range of applications for industrial hemp including things like construction materials, paper and fabric," Blundell said.
"Its reputation for being exceptionally hardy also made it a viable option for marginal farming areas."
The global industrial hemp market was valued at $4.9 billion in 2019, and projected to reach $18.6 billion by 2027.
The Stanthorpe trial plot is one of nine sites across seven states and territories of Australia where key performance data is being captured for a range of grain and dual-purpose (grain and fibre) varieties for different sowing times and environmental conditions.
The second year of the trial, but the first for South East Queensland, is evaluating the performance of nine varieties.
These were sourced from seed suppliers in Australia, and include varieties from Australia, Canada, France and Poland.
IHVT NSW and Queensland site coordinator, USYD Associate Professor Guy Roth, said the first trial at Stanthorpe was already yielding some interesting insights.
"We've already seen some interesting insights into seed germination in these conditions and field day visitors will be able to see the differences between the varieties and sowing times ahead of harvest," he said.
AgriFutures emerging industries program senior manager Dr Olivia Reynolds said the field day was a great opportunity for farmers, processors, food retailers and commercial investors in the region to learn more about industrial hemp and the diverse opportunities it offered Australian agriculture.
"This is a huge opportunity for Australian agriculture to produce an environmentally sustainable multi-purpose crop that can be used for everything from food to fabric and even building materials," Dr Reynolds said.
The IHVT is aligned with the recent announcement of a $2.5 million program of research by AgriFutures to grow the industry, which aims to exceed $10m in production at farmgate by 2026.
Industrial hemp, which must be grown under state or territory government permits, has very low tetrahydrocannabinol content (THC) but is high in protein and healthy fats.
Since 2017 it has been legal to sell industrial hemp seed for human consumption.
People interested in attending can register on the AgriFutures website.
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