Hemp Co-op Ireland has called on farmers to grow hemp this year as an alternative income source on their farms.

Hemp is a cash crop which can be grown for 50,000 different products, including paper, clothing, biodegradable plastics and animal feed to name but a few.

Here are some things of note if you are considering growing the crop this year.

1 How to get a license

If you are thinking about growing hemp on your farm, this is the first step you should take.

Farmers must apply to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) for a license to grow the crop.

If you are a member of Hemp Co-op Ireland, it will help to guide you through the process and will also offer you a better price on seed.

2 Yields

Yields from the hemp crop vary, depending on what variety is sown:

  • 2.5t/ac for fibre varieties.
  • 500kg/ac for seed varieties.
  • 500kg/ac for flowers (dry).
  • 3 How long it takes to grow

    Hemp grown for seed and fibre both take 60 days from sowing to harvest.

    Hemp for leaf and flower has a growing season of 90 days.

    4 Sowing and harvesting times

    Hemp grows best when sown in April or May, particularly after the last frost, as it is extremely frost sensitive.

    It also needs moisture to become established, so light rain is optimum.

    It can be harvested from August to October.

    5 Soil

    Hemp grows best in soils with a pH of 6.5 or higher.

    6 Away from roads

    Hemp can't be seen from the road. However, if hedges, trees or bushes are blocking visibility, then it should be fine.

    7 Equipment for harvesting

  • Finger bar or big disc mower.
  • Self propel with kemper head.
  • Turner.
  • Combine.
  • Seed dryer.
  • Seed cleaner.
  • 8 Return

    Profit-wise, Hemp Co-op Ireland states farmers can expect €100 to €300/ac with current legislation.

    However, if legislation was to be changed whereby the whole plant could be utilised, over €2,000/acre is estimated.

    9 Carbon sequestration

    On average, hemp sequesters 10t of net carbon dioxide per hectare, so 10,000ha sown would reduce CO2 emissions by 100,000t per annum, in just a four-month window.

    10 End uses

    The hemp stalk is separated into fibre and shiv.

    The fibre is used for clothing, textiles, insulation and more recently biocomposites.

    The shiv, or woody core of the plant, is used for building products, including hempcrete, fibre board and insulation.

    Furthermore, it is used as bedding material, biomass and paper.

    Then the leaf and flower of the plant is suitable for health products, as it contains many bio-active compounds.