South Africa’s hemp pioneers reveal the harsh realities behind the plant’s economic promises. Natie Ferreira, owner of Dagga Farmacy Nursery and director at Cheeba Cannabis Consultancy, explores the challenges and potential of hemp cultivation in a rapidly evolving industry.
Never has the mention of a plant stirred up so many emotions. Immediate conversations range from the medicinal benefits, and the good or bad of getting high, to the industrial and architectural potential of cannabis sativa (or hemp).
Some may even tell you about the nutritional benefits of hemp seed and the potential impact on food security. But most of the time, the conversations lead to the economic potential of the plant.
Wild numbers are thrown around, and farmers are drooling over the promise of a high-yielding, high-value crop that can be grown anywhere, with limited application of water, pesticide, and fertiliser.
Pioneer hemp farmers, however, had a more sobering experience with the crop, and we have much to learn from their experience in South Africa.
Is hemp really such a high-value crop?
Hemp is in many ways a future crop. As replacement technologies develop, hemp and other natural fibres can play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of many industries, including plastics, textiles, and construction.
The nutritional benefit of the plant is well known, with hemp seed already commanding double the commodity price of sunflower seed. The potential economic value of the flowering tops and their medicinal and therapeutic properties is exploited in many regions of the world.
For the pioneer farmers, these benefits remained in the future, and the reality is that many growers were left with stores of CBD flowers, stalks, and seeds that they could not sell.
Horror stories are emerging from farmers who were duped by unscrupulous speculators who sold them seed and other inputs on the promise of high prices for their produce, be it flower or fibre. Most of these were left without a market for their crop, and what material they could get rid of was at a very low price.
Before the intermediate and advanced processing capabilities are installed in the country, hemp farmers will be left without an immediate and local market for their produce. No competitive farmer will put seed in the ground without a market for his crop; it should be no different with hemp.
What about pesticides and fertilisers?
Cannabis is a very tough plant, not called “weed” without reason. We often see plants survive in the harshest conditions, from cracks in city asphalt to the most arid deserts.
This has led to the belief that it can be grown without either irrigation or the application of fertilisers and pesticides. For the farmer trying to grow hemp for profit, however, this is far from the truth. In general, cannabis is a hungry plant, with yield directly linked to the farmer’s inputs.
Rapid growth leads to susceptibility to a wide range of pests and diseases. Most hemp farmers will try to grow their crops with as little impact on the environment as possible and will have to introduce an arsenal of biological and organic inputs to prevent and target pests.
The industry is hoping for the development of pest-resistant genetics, but until that day, the grower will have to be diligent in his control of threats to his crop.
As a rule, hemp can be compared to maize production in fertiliser and water requirements.
Farmers used to genetically modified seed will have to know that they can’t apply herbicides indiscriminately and that they will have to control bollworms and other caterpillars when growing hemp.
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And water and climate?
Despite what social media memes will tell you, hemp needs an adequate water supply to flourish. Very few areas of our country will be suitable for the dryland production of hemp, with a summer rainfall of over 600mm ideal.
Adequate moisture is especially important during the germination and early growth phase of the plant, with dry periods stunting growth in the later productive life of the plant.
Hemp is a summer crop. It is sensitive to light periods and will flower during short day lengths, making it unsuitable for our winter grain planting areas. Like soybeans, sunflowers, and maize, it is a long-season crop and can only be planted in similar climatic zones.
Most of the hemp varieties currently available come from much higher latitudes than ours and are not adapted to our shorter day lengths, leading to lower yields in both biomass and grain production. Local research and genetic development are needed before we will be able to successfully compete with the farmers from the Northern Hemisphere.
The future
Despite all the pitfalls mentioned above, hemp should still be seen for the potential miracle plant it can be. A future where we can sustainably grow the resources that we are currently mining out of the ground will benefit all. Hemp can be an answer to many of our sustainability and regenerative demands.
For now, we need the pioneers to crack open the benefits of this plant – farmers, product developers, and industrialists alike.
- Natie Ferreira is the owner of Dagga Farmacy Nursery and director at Cheeba Cannabis Consultancy. Those interested in learning more about this exciting industry can visit South Africa’s top cannabis educator at www.cheebaafrica.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Food For Mzansi.
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