Canadian hemp acres are up 25 per cent in the last five years, with nearly a third of that grown in Alberta — about 24,500 acres in 2015.
Last year’s bumper crop has reduced demand for conventional hemp acres this year but buyers are “exceedingly interested in contracting organic hemp acres,” said Lori-Jo Graham, a provincial specialist in biomaterials.
However, hemp demand — including for fibre — is growing and the province is working with farmers and companies to build supply chains, she said.
It has just released a new publication on hemp production, which can be found at agriculture.alberta.ca.
