By Jeremy Cook
Golden Guitar-winning country music star James Blundell is set to open the gates to his Granite Belt farm to prospective hemp farmers early next year with hopes of inciting a hemp revolution.
Mr Blundell has been growing industrial hemp commercially on his property since 2016, but now wants other farmers to jump on board.
The Stanthorpe grazier and passionate hemp industry advocate will unlock the gates of his property, where a range of different industrial hemp varieties are being trialled, to host a field day on 6 February for farmers interested in adding the plant to their crop rotations.
Industrial hemp, or cannabis sativa, is among one of the fastest growing plants in the world despite its incredibly modest water requirements.
The crop is bred specifically to contain very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive property traditionally associated with marijuana, and in Queensland requires a state government issued permit.
Mr Blundell said he was excited by the opportunities presented by the emerging hemp industry and wanted to encourage more growers to become involved.
“The penny is definitely dropping, and I can see the traction of the industry moving from intrigue and novelty to greater understanding of the enormous use benefits of industrial hemp,” Mr Blundell said.
“If I can grow it, anyone can.”
The field day is one of nine set to be hosted by AgriFutures Australia next year, with others planned in almost every state and territory apart from Tasmania.
The nine sites form part of a national trial run by Agrifutures, aiming to inform growers about the performance of different hemp varieties, like grain and fibre, in specific geographic locations.
“The variety trial is an important step for hemp becoming a stable industry in Australia,” Mr Blundell said.
“I’m a big fan of the varieties called Ruby and Orion 33, but the plant is so responsive to latitude, longitude, soil types and temperatures that what works at home may not be the best variety in other areas,” he said.
The field days are a culmination of a three-year research project to determine best performing varieties and sowing times for each growing region.
University of Sydney Associate Professor Guy Roth coordinates the trial sites in Stanthorpe and Narrabri.
Professor Roth said the field days would include a field walk where participants can view the condition of different varieties and a presentation of results.
“Field day visitors will be able to see how the different varieties are growing and the impact of sowing times ahead of harvest,” he said.
An optional agronomy session, hosted by industrial hemp agronomist John Muir, will be held at both field days to provide more in-depth information for those considering growing the plant.
AgriFutures Australia Program Senior Manager Dr Olivia Reynolds is hoping the field days can bring together farmers, processors, food retailers and commercial investors to learn more about the emerging plant and its diverse opportunities for Australian agriculture.
“The global industrial hemp market is projected to reach $18.6 billion by 2027,” Dr Reynolds said.
“This is a huge opportunity for Australian agriculture to produce an environmentally sustainable, multi-purpose crop that can be used for everything from food to building materials.”
AgriFutures Australia Field Day details:
– Stanthorpe, QLD: Tuesday, 6 February, 2024
– Location: Mt Malakoff, 1459 Springdale Rd, Nundubbermere, QLD 4380
– Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
– Includes a light lunch
– Optional extra: Agronomy workshop from 12:30pm – 2:00pm with AgriFutures agronomist John Muir.
