High hopes for hemp production

GROWERS: ASSOCIATION SEEKS TO EXPAND

- Kayla Shaw

Often viewed with controversy, hemp farmers continue to expand the industry, pushing boundaries with the support of the KwaZulu Hemp Association (KHA).

At the recent annual meeting at the Royal Showgrounds, the KHA, recognised by the department of agriculture, encouraged more farmers and entrepreneurs to join the sector.

"We have been involved in rural and subsistence farmer development," said KHA chairperson Sheldon "Bobby Greenhash" Cramer at the event last month.

"We are mentoring the whole value chain, from farmers to processors, but we need entrepreneurs who can spin off this and make products out of the fibre," Cramer said.

He said there had been significant progress in the industry, such as a developing value chain and a new factory in Empangeni to process hemp.