Hemp Crop
Hemp is high growth, green eco-friendly crop. Height of hemp plant can grow up to 5 meters. Sandy soft soil is preferred for hemp cultivation. Hemp is cultivated for its bast fibres and edible seeds. Hemp contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is psychoactive compound. THC binds with receptors — mostly in the brain — that control pain, mood, and other feelings.
What is Hemp Cultivation
Fibres taken out from hemp plant using following steps —including
1. Retting,
2. Drying,
3. Crushing
after that hemp crop is shaken to remove the hard woody portion and get long fibre strands. The fibre strands, usually longer than 1.8 metres (5.8 feet), are made of individual cylindrical cells with an irregular surface. Color of hemp fibre is yellowish green. Hemp fibres can also be bleached to get white color fibre.
Hemp Growing Time
Hemp crop can take 3-4 months for maturity, after which it can harvested for hemp fibre extraction. If not harvested, hemp plant can grow up to tree in few years. Hemp plant can grow up to 15 feet.
Cultivation of industrial hemp
Hemp is cultivated in large scale for use as raw material in various industries. Hemp can be used in following industries : pharmaceutical industry, paper, ropes, textile, clothing, food, biofuel, animal feed, seed oil etc.
Hemp Cultivation in India
Odisha, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand is highest producers of legal hemp. Uttarakhand was the first state in India to start legal farming of hemp.
Is hemp cultivation legal in India
Hemp cultivation under licensed supervision of government is legal in India. Hemp then can be used for fibre extraction, hemp seed oil, hemp for pharmaceutical industry. In India, under section 10 of the Indian Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985, the State Governments have the power to licence cultivation of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes. While hemp grows wild in India, farming is still prohibited in many states.
Hemp cultivation in Karnataka
Many new companies started in Banglore, which are promoting hemp based products. This has created demand of hemp in Karnataka.