HEMP PROSPECTS NOT SO BAD

BURFORD - As Doug Albin stands in Larry Davis's hemp field on Bishopgate
Road for a photo for this story, the two men use the opportunity to decide
who does what for a display the Ontario Hemp Alliance is mounting at this
week's Outdoor Farm Show. Each man tells the other how busy his schedule is
for the next few days, but they finally come up with a plan before each
heads off to something else.

In fact, the display is the latest assignment in what has been a busy two
weeks for Albin, the manager of Brant Agri-Business, a non-profit
organization that promotes value-added business opportunities for the
county's farmers.

Albin recently returned from a weeklong fact-finding mission to Germany on
behalf of Brant Agri-Business to look into the latest growing techniques,
processing equipment and marketing strategies of that country's burgeoning
hemp industry.

No sooner was he back than Albin had to go to a meeting with officials in
the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to talk about new
provincial programs for area companies to tap in developing new production
ventures in hemp.

All of Albin's efforts have been focused on one objective: to bring a
full-fledged hemp industry to Brant. By that he means creating the right
conditions to attract growers, processors and product manufacturers.

It's become a major task consuming Brant Agri-Business's activism ever since
the federal government legalized the growing of low-barbiturate hemp for
commercial purposes two years ago and 10 farmers in Brant planted their
first crops last year.

As he poses with Davis among the hemp plants, Albin heaps scorn on stories
that have appeared in big-city newspapers and magazines telling readers that
``The hemp boom is a bust.''

Many of the stories report that after farmers enthusiastically planted hemp
crops for the first time in several counties in 1999, only a few planted
this year. Many of the stories exude a flavour of disappointment; that the
vaunted possibilities for hemp were all hype, and the Ontario industry did
not expand beyond two processing firms in Chatham and Tillsonburg.

``They just don't understand what it takes to get an industry off the
ground,'' says Albin. ``Just because not many are growing right now doesn't
mean nothing is happening. There's all kinds of activity going on. It's
certainly kept me busy.''

He contends that the county is still very much in a race to set up a
competitive industry before the U.S. is expected to legalize hemp production
in the next few years, and before other Ontario counties and other provinces
can successfully get theirs off the ground.

He notes that the 10 Brant farmers who grew hemp last year did so to provide
demonstration crops and products for Brant Agri-Business and to prove to the
nascent industry in general that there is interest in the county.

This year, Davis is the only Brant farmer growing hemp -- the rest say
they're waiting for better signs of the future. The 10 acres the two men
were standing in will be harvested in a few weeks for its seeds.

Davis is growing again it mostly because he's Brant's representative to the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture and an innovative farmer willing to
experiment with new crop opportunities.

One thing both men haven't wavered from is the tremendous potential they see
for hemp in Brant.

With interest already cultivated, the problem now is to attract a processor
and bring in better equipment that will allow farmers to more
cost-effectively plant and harvest hemp. Those two hurdles, they insist are
all that stand in the way of success.

Albin says his opinions about the industry's potential were was only
increased when he went to Germany with two Ontario hemp growers. The $4,000
trip, co-ordinated through the Canadian embassy in Germany, was paid for by
Brant Agri-Business, the Brant County Federation of Agriculture and the
provincial Industrial Research Assistance Program.

The three men toured a range of facilities largely located in east Germany,
including operations, processing firms and equipment manufacturing places.

``The timing was certainly right,'' he says. ``We wanted to find out if
Germany's industry was as far advanced as we were told. When we got there we
found that in fact it was much further advanced than we thought.''

The team discovered that Germany is focusing its industry primarily on
growing and processing fibres for the automotive industry.

``Europe is way ahead of us on the environmental impact of the automobile
industry,' he says. ``They have a voluntary vision that they want cars made
easier to recycle and more friendly to the environment.

``We found 13 manufacturers are using hemp fibres in different components of
their cars. Natural fibres are being used to replace fibreglass. I thought,
`that's where our interest lies.'''

Albin notes a study done at the Nova Institute predicts Germany will undergo
a jump in production and markets in the next five years. ``When we were
there we could see that the focus will be on construction materials, mainly
sound and heat insulations and even more intensive use in automotive
products.''

Further signs of the future are right in North America. Albin says just
returned from Germany to find out that Daimler-Chrysler announced it is
expanding its use of natural fibres worldwide.

Also, Ford Motor Company has signed an agreement with Texas-based Kafus
Bio-Composites to produce natural fibre composites. It's still illegal to
grow hemp commercially in the U.S. so the market is concentrated for the
moment on kenaf, a natural fibre plant with a limited growing area in the
southern U.S.

``To us that's an indication that there is a big move to natural fibres.
Again that tells us the timing is right to push for another fibre processing
plant in Ontario. Once everything comes on stream we'll need several more
plants.''

Does misguided optimism reign eternal in the mind of Albin? Are the forces
forever lined up against hemp in Brant?

Albin shakes his head vigorously. He says he's seen too much of the future
to be mistaken. And what he's seen is enough to keep him on the road and
spreading the word.