Farmers are being sought to grow hemp for fibre on their farms this year by Hemp Co-operative Ireland (Hemp Co-op).

Hemp Co-operative is a registered co-operative with the aim of creating an infrastructure for farmers and local businesses to develop the hemp industry in Ireland.

The co-op is aiming for between 1,000ac and 2,000ac to be grown this year.

Vice-chair of the Hemp Co-op Robert Johnson encouraged people to be members of the co-op on an Irish Grain Growers Group zoom meeting this week, saying one of the benefits of membership for farmers is a reduction in seed price.

'Plough, till, sow and grow'

Farmers are being called on to grow 10ac minimum on their farms to sell to Irish Hemp Fibre ltd.

Edward Hanbidge from Co Wicklow is a grower of hemp and first grew a crop in 2015 on his sheep and cattle farm.

"It was very simple; just plough, till, sow, close the gate and watch it grow," he said.

Hanbidge said that with hemp, it's the same preparation that is needed for oats, barley or wheat, adding that a nice fine seed bed will reduce a lot of problems.

He added that the crop is very drought tolerable, it just needs moisture to get established. However, hemp doesn't like the frost.

Leave the sowing of the crop until May when there would be less threat of frost

"Last year, the two weeks frost in May, it killed every seed that I had sown on 27 April... and I had to sow again then at the end of May," he said.

He advised farmers to leave the sowing of the crop until May when there would be less threat of frost.

Hanbige said it's a crop that grows very, very quickly and that it needs fertilisation.

"You're looking at a ballpark figure of between 70 and 100 units of nitrogen, 80 units of phosphorus and 90 to 100 units of potassium. The more nitrogen put on the crop the higher the crop will grow.

"For a fibre crop, you sow at about 25 to 30kg/ac and you will get over 4t/ac," he said.

Interested farmers

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

The HPRA processes licenses to grow hemp on behalf of the Department of Health. In 2020, 94 licences to cultivate hemp were issued.

There will be a site inspection one month before harvest and harvesting will be conducted in co-ordination with the buyer, in order to secure ideal moistures.

A local weighbridge will be agreed on to verify the amount harvested and the buyer will arrange transport back to his facility in Leitrim.

"It is a crop that we know that we can grow here. And why shouldn't we be growing it," Hanbidge said.