SA hemp research given the green light

Natie Ferreira, director of a new cannabis research centre at the Agricultural Research Council’s Bien Donné site near Paarl, was recently issued with a permit to cultivate 8ha of hemp for the purposes of study and development. He and researcher Moses Mlangeni spoke to Marinda Louw Coetzee about the planned research at the centre, and how it will help to boost the commercial cultivation of hemp in South Africa.

- Marinda Louw Coetzee

Hailing from a family of vegetable growers, ‘master grower’ Natie Ferreira looks the part, with his lush beard and hard-working hands. Based in the Boland, Western Cape, Ferreira has been involved in gardening and farming for over two decades. He has worked in permaculture and biodynamics, and as a landscaper has focused on foodscaping. He has also been growing cannabis for years.

Recently, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) issued a three-year permit to Ferreira to grow 8ha of hemp in the Western Cape, at what will now be called the Bien Donné Cannabis Research and Training Centre.

An Agricultural Research Council (ARC) facility, Bien Donné is a historic farm in the Drakenstein Municipality near Paarl, and receives around 800mm of rainfall a year. Part of the farm, and included in Ferreira’s permit, are old fruit orchards, a barn that will be converted into an experimental kitchen and food factory, and 15ha of deep alluvial soil.

The centre will focus on the cultivation of hemp for various uses, including food and fibre. In addition, a number of buildings and open spaces on the farm will be developed to house income-generating facilities such as a deli/restaurant, a dispensary and a nursery.

THE MANY USES OF HEMP