Hemp trials in Riverland and South East yield promising results as first seeds harvested

SOUTH Australia’s first crop of industrial hemp is ready for harvesting in the Riverland, with the nutty-flavoured seeds set to boost the state’s Omega 3 intake in bread or oils — and hopefully our coffers.

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HEMP seeds are being readied to boost the state’s Omega 3 intake in bread or oils as the first South Australian crop is harvested at Loxton in the Riverland.

Hundreds of plants grown at two key industrial hemp trial sites are showing great promise, according to researchers, growing up to three metres tall and attracting a stream of interested locals to field days this week.

Five varieties — selected from thousands across the world — were planted at the two Primary Industries and Regions SA research centres in Loxton and Kybybolite in the state’s South-East in late October last year.

They were now being carefully assessed for their seed and fibre producing qualities.

“Early on it will be about growing grain for food, we’re not going to ignore the fibre, but the pathway to market is easier for grain for food, for oil and cosmetics,” PIRSA grains account manager Dave Lewis said.

“The seeds are 28 per cent protein typically and they are also one of the best for Omega three, six and nine from a plant source, the other two are flaxseed and linseed.”

SARDI Research scientist Mark Skewes with plants from the hemp trial at Loxton. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Lewis said the seeds had a pleasant, nutty flavour but when kernels were ground into a powder and mixed with water, a random taste testing with PIRSA staff in Adelaide suggested it would be better mixed with more flavoursome ingredients.

“Some of the feedback varied between it tasting like Murray River water and Darling River water,” he said.

Several licence applications to grow the plants bred to contain less than 1 per cent of high-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are now being assessed — after new rules introduced last year meant hemp could be grown for food or clothing and medicinal cannabis in SA for the first time.

Martyn England, from the state’s new office of Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis, was on hand at the field days to tell potential growers the rules around the two crop types.

Growers of low THC industrial hemp crops for food, clothing or building materials must plant a minimum area of one hectare, to have undergone a police check and to have the crop regularly audited to ensure it had the correct THC levels.

There were far stricter rules for those involved with research around medicinal cannabis containing higher levels of THC.

Mr England said one manufacturer licence in SA had been approved for medicinal cannabis and one rejected while another research application was being assessed.

At PIRSA, the first grower applications for industrial hemp were being assessed with about 300 interested people on the database.

Mark Skewes, a SARDI research scientist based at Loxton and overseeing the industrial hemp crops, said the focus at Loxton and Kybybolite was in finding the best varieties to grow and when to plant during the summer growing season to create the highest yield.

“It certainly grows well, we’ve got plants more than three metres, but that does create its own set of problems at harvest,” he said.