Tasmanian industrial hemp...hope after all
The new Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries, David Llewelly, indicated yesterday (April 13th) that he will work to change Tasmanian legislation to allow for hemp farming. According to (Australia's) ABC news, Llewelly is quoted as saying "I was not aware the hurdles in legislation here in Tasmania are now making it a little more difficult," he said. "We'll address that and sort it out." Sounds promising.
It turns out that the Deparment of Primary Industries has a well-informed horticulturalist on staff by the name Peter Simmul. Simmul has authored a number of industrial hemp articles/studies, including this 2003 informative study. In it, Simmul concludes:
Hemp fibre could be used as a sustainable substitute for imported wood kraft fibre for papermaking. With its food value yet to be fully realised, it could prove to be an ideal supplement for animals and humans. The oil is reported to have many uses with a favoured one being for use in skin conditioners. Until the scale of production increases significantly, and efficient machinery is employed in value adding systems, the economics of industrial hemp production and marketing in Tasmania will remain something of an unknown.
Two days ago, Simmul was quoted in ABC Rural news supporting hemp:
"I think it’s just one of those things where you’ve got a lot of competition on fibres, a lot of competition on food oils, and I think it's got to establish itself in the market place and be seen to be a worthy opponent in the competition field....There’s always a perception issue with these kind of things, some people would interpret it as being an undesirable thing because of the illicit components of it. But these crops are just so safe… there is no illicit component in them. The greater issue here is marketing and getting the confidence of people who are prepared to invest in it."
It's always refreshing to hear folks in government talking sense.