Cannabis cultivation can benefit livestock farming

Thomas Walker outlines the opportunities that cannabis production presents for livestock farmers, along with the regulatory path and practical steps that producers can follow while the legislation is being finalised.

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Farms that employ mixed enterprise techniques dominate much of South Africa’s rural landscape. With the rise of low-THC cannabis and industrial hemp, an additional layer of integration is now possible, transforming a previously fibre-only or wellness crop into a possible bedding, feed, and soil-building component for animal enterprises.

HEMPSEED PROTEIN

When hempseed is pressed to produce an oil, a dark, nutty cake is produced, containing approximately 30% crude protein and a mix of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In Canada, Europe, and the US, feeding trials have substituted parts of the usual soya or canola meal for pig, dairy cow, and broiler rations, without adversely affecting weight gain or milk production.

Global demand for hempseed meal in animal nutrition is set to double between 2024 and 2028.

SPENT HEMP BIOMASS

Large volumes of fibrous 'spent hemp biomass' are produced from the extraction of cannabinoids for wellness or medicinal applications. In US trials, producers swapped some of the cows' usual lucerne with hemp leftovers and found that the animals ate the same amount and produced the same quality of milk. However, farmers had to combine the hemp with molasses to make the feed tasty, and test the milk regularly for cannabinoid residues.