South Australia's only hemp processor credits improving knowledge in agronomy for his highest seed yield yet.
Bordertown-based Mick Andersen said this season's average yield was 1.2 tonnes per hectare, an increase from 500 kilograms per hectare three seasons ago, following the legalisation of edible hemp products in 2017.
"This year we had a crop that went 2.3 tonne per hectare," he said.
Mr Andersen's company, Good Country Hemp, receives its seed from contracted growers.
He said while seasonal conditions and the variety contributed to the yields, growers' hemp-specific agronomy had been improving.
"We're really starting to work out how hemp grows," he said.
The processor said using knowledge from Tasmania in building the SA industry had been "really helpful".
"In SA the conditions are a little bit different, so we've got to have specific agronomy for our soil types in our climate.
"As we move forward, we're getting better and better at it.
"It's all coming together — all the planets are lining up for us and we're really starting to work out what it takes to grow good hemp crops."
Cottage days done
Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance (AIHA) president James Vosper said agronomy specific to hemp was "absolutely" impacting on crop productivity across the country.
"The actual outputs that farmers are getting are increasing, there are less failed crops because people are more specific about the kind of seed that they're actually growing, and more serious, larger acreages are leading to more economies of scale," he said.
"What used to be more of a cottage industry is now established as a real industry.
Mr Vosper estimated that farmers were harvesting seed yields of more than a tonne, up from 500-900 kilograms, which would align the national increase very closely to the growth of Mr Andersen's operation.
Trial and error
Tasmania is the largest hemp producer in Australia, according to AIHA's 2020 annual report.
Tasmanian agronomist Konrad Chung has watched the state's industry grow since the beginning.
"We started with around 50 hectares roughly 10 years ago — now that's up to 1500," he said.
"We didn't have much when we started, but now we have people who are willing to harvest it, we've got infrastructure in for drying and cleaning the seeds."
Mr Chung said the industry had learnt many hard lessons in its short existence, mostly by trial and error.
"The seed itself is very fragile," he said.
"Seed contamination can also cause headaches … wild radish or even leftover cereals in the header or the paddock itself can be very difficult to clean out of the hemp seed.
"We've even learnt with harvest that if you go in too early while the crop is still green it can bind up the harvester and cause issues."
