R7 million boost for hemp farmers in Coega

The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) took a step forward in supporting the Eastern Cape’s burgeoning cannabis industry with the distribution of R7 million worth of hemp seeds to 26 local farmers at the Coega Medigrow facility in the Coega Special Economic Zone in Gqeberha.

- Octavia Avesca Spandiel

Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture Nonceba Kontsiwe said the initiative ensured a market for the farmers’ produce through a signed offtake agreement, which provided a direct supply channel to Medigrow, a company at the forefront of the province’s cannabis industry.

“The distribution event also signalled the official launch of a plan to integrate hemp cultivation permit holders into Medigrow’s supply chain, with the aim of cultivating 10 000ha of hemp flower over the next five years,” Kontsiwe said.