Interest sought in trialling cultivation of industrial purpose Indian hemp

17/4/96

Primary Industry Minister Monty House has called for expressions of interest in growing trial crops of industrial purpose Indian hemp in rural Western Australia.

Mr House said applications were sought from farmers, private companies, rural research organisations and education institutes.

The trials were recommended by a review commissioned last year by the Minister and carried out by the Hemp Industry Steering Committee.

"The Hemp Industry Steering Committee has obtained a limited number of authorisations to grow industrial hemp in order to research its suitability as a commercial crop," Mr House said.

"The trial crops will explore a wide range of plant nutrient regimes, sowing times, cultivating techniques, genetic material, yields per hectare and production costs.

"Successful applicants will undertake agronomic trials in partnership with Agriculture Western Australia over the next three years."

Mr House said there was strong public support for testing the feasibility of very low drug content Indian hemp.

The illicit cannabis species used for drug manufacture has between three and 10 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC - the active ingredient) by weight whereas industrial hemp has less than 0.3 per cent.

"These are important trials as they will help determine whether industrial purpose Indian hemp will be grown for commercial purposes in the future," Mr House said.

"The trials will be co-ordinated by the committee and involve representatives from the Health Department and WA Police Service."

Committee chairman Murray Montgomery MLC said applicants must be prepared to meet the costs of planting and harvesting the hemp and the cost of testing for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) levels in the mature crop.

He said the trials would be conducted under strict security measures and hemp produced from this program would be for experimental purposes only.

Applications close on May 15 and application forms are available from: Hon Murray Montgomery, MLC, Chairman, Industrial Hemp Steering Committee The Link Shopping Centre, Aberdeen Street, Albany WA 6330

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell 481 2044, 0411 470 831

Committee chairman, Murray Montgomery 098 417 999