A prominent Irish hemp grower has proposed that the Irish hemp industry would need a €100m investment to get a foothold and begin helping Ireland offset its carbon emissions.Wicklow organic farmer Edward Hanbidge made the call for State and private investment, while speaking at the industrial hemp conference hosted by Teagasc in Ashtown, Co Dublin, on Thursday.
A prominent Irish hemp grower has proposed that the Irish hemp industry would need a €100m investment to get a foothold and begin helping Ireland offset its carbon emissions.
Wicklow organic farmer Edward Hanbidge made the call for State and private investment, while speaking at the industrial hemp conference hosted by Teagasc in Ashtown, Co Dublin, on Thursday.
Teagasc research has shown that hemp is a strong plant for carbon sequestration, as it absorbs CO2 faster than most crops and it has the ability to clean soils by absorbing heavy metals.
Responding to a question from farmer Diarmuid Mulcahy during the conference, Hanbidge said that €100m would be a ballpark figure to establish markets and equipment.
Industrial hemp conference. / James Hanly
“When you’re looking at a processing facility, if you’re going big, you’re looking at something between €15m and €20m, because it will have to be automated in a way that it looks after itself to a degree,” he said.
“You need good, reliable strong machinery that’s going to work every time. Then you need markets because you can make the best thing in the world, but [it’s useless] if no one knows about it.”
Equipment
Teagasc has said that farmers have the ability to make over €2,800/ha each season growing hemp.
However, due to the time spent retting (removing the fibre from the stem of the plant) the crop, equipment has been cited as the major cost to its production.
A decorticator, which separates the stalk’s core from the exterior fibre, ranges in cost between €400,000 and €3m.
Agricultural economist Dr Fiona Thorne agreed that an investment is important to make sure that it is viable for farmers to diversify into hemp.
“If we’re being realistic and we want to get an industry off the ground, then I think Ed is right. There probably is a very real need for capital investment.”
Hanbidge added that there has been too much discussion about the hemp industry and not enough action.
“I’ve been here now 10 years growing it, talking about the opportunities; what it can do for farmers and the country. I’m still here talking and I want a bit of action - something, because we’ve been at it long enough.”
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