These are high times for hemp.
Not only is demand for hemp products skyrocketing -- Canadian hemp seed exports increased by 300 per cent and hemp oil exports by 85 per cent from 2006 to 2007 -- but one of the country's oldest and largest hemp food producers, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils, is moving into a new state-of-the-art processing plant this week that will boost its production capacity by 500 per cent.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp's Martin Moravcik, Alex Chwaiewsky and Mike Fata (from left) at new plant. (Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg Free Press )
And Wednesday, the federal and provincial governments added icing to the cake with the unveiling of a new national strategy for developing the hemp industry in Canada.
"In the last 10 years, the Canadian hemp industry has grown from an emerging niche market to a point where we are now being recognized as a global leader in hemp production," said Mike Fata, chairman of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) and president and co-founder of Manitoba Harvest Hemp.
"With the province's support, this hemp strategy has given us a road map to new opportunities and continued growth of the hemp industry in Canada."
Fata said the creation of a national strategy gives the industry instant credibility.
"It proves the industry is here and it's not just a fad."
The strategy was announced on the second day of the CHTA's two-day annual meeting and technology conference in Winnipeg.
More than 100 delegates from Canada, the United States, Europe and Korea attended the event, designed to bring industry players up to date on the latest developments within the global hemp industry.
Delegates were told the focus over the last 10 years in North America -- hemp growing has been legal in Canada only since 1998 -- has been on finding new uses for hemp products in the production of food, cosmetics and clothing.
But in Europe, the focus has been more on using hemp fibre to produce things like automotive components and construction materials.
However, Fata and Shaun Crew, president of the province's other big hemp processing company, Ste. Agathe-based Hemp Oil Canada Ltd., predicted the creation of a new national strategy will lead to the development of more products made from hemp fibre, as well.
"It's happening now on the R & D (research and development) end of it," Crew said.
While Fata said he believes there will be a growing demand for things like hemp building materials, it's not something Manitoba Harvest Hemp will be tackling any time soon. Rather, its focus will continue to be on producing hemp products for the food and cosmetics sectors.
He said the company's new 20,000-square-foot processing plant on Eagle Drive is four times bigger than its old plant on Notre Dame Avenue and has 500 times the production capacity.
That added capacity, coupled with a growing demand, should enable Manitoba Harvest Hemp to increase its sales fivefold over the next five years to about $25 million, he said. Five new jobs are being added to the workforce of 28, with another two or three to be hired next year.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Winnipeg Free Press
Author: Murray McNeill
Contact: Winnipeg Free Press
Copyright: 2008 Winnipeg Free Press
Website:Demand For Hemp Soaring, Firm Moves To Bigger Plant
Not only is demand for hemp products skyrocketing -- Canadian hemp seed exports increased by 300 per cent and hemp oil exports by 85 per cent from 2006 to 2007 -- but one of the country's oldest and largest hemp food producers, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils, is moving into a new state-of-the-art processing plant this week that will boost its production capacity by 500 per cent.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp's Martin Moravcik, Alex Chwaiewsky and Mike Fata (from left) at new plant. (Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg Free Press )
And Wednesday, the federal and provincial governments added icing to the cake with the unveiling of a new national strategy for developing the hemp industry in Canada.
"In the last 10 years, the Canadian hemp industry has grown from an emerging niche market to a point where we are now being recognized as a global leader in hemp production," said Mike Fata, chairman of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) and president and co-founder of Manitoba Harvest Hemp.
"With the province's support, this hemp strategy has given us a road map to new opportunities and continued growth of the hemp industry in Canada."
Fata said the creation of a national strategy gives the industry instant credibility.
"It proves the industry is here and it's not just a fad."
The strategy was announced on the second day of the CHTA's two-day annual meeting and technology conference in Winnipeg.
More than 100 delegates from Canada, the United States, Europe and Korea attended the event, designed to bring industry players up to date on the latest developments within the global hemp industry.
Delegates were told the focus over the last 10 years in North America -- hemp growing has been legal in Canada only since 1998 -- has been on finding new uses for hemp products in the production of food, cosmetics and clothing.
But in Europe, the focus has been more on using hemp fibre to produce things like automotive components and construction materials.
However, Fata and Shaun Crew, president of the province's other big hemp processing company, Ste. Agathe-based Hemp Oil Canada Ltd., predicted the creation of a new national strategy will lead to the development of more products made from hemp fibre, as well.
"It's happening now on the R & D (research and development) end of it," Crew said.
While Fata said he believes there will be a growing demand for things like hemp building materials, it's not something Manitoba Harvest Hemp will be tackling any time soon. Rather, its focus will continue to be on producing hemp products for the food and cosmetics sectors.
He said the company's new 20,000-square-foot processing plant on Eagle Drive is four times bigger than its old plant on Notre Dame Avenue and has 500 times the production capacity.
That added capacity, coupled with a growing demand, should enable Manitoba Harvest Hemp to increase its sales fivefold over the next five years to about $25 million, he said. Five new jobs are being added to the workforce of 28, with another two or three to be hired next year.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Winnipeg Free Press
Author: Murray McNeill
Contact: Winnipeg Free Press
Copyright: 2008 Winnipeg Free Press
Website:Demand For Hemp Soaring, Firm Moves To Bigger Plant
