HEMP GROWERS TO HARVEST SEEDS

The special of aroma of hemp will fill the air in Golden Bay on
Saturday as this year's crop is harvested.

Peter and Nikita Mears are expecting a good turnout of friends to
help hand-harvest the half-hectare crop they are licensed to grow.

The crop is a special variety of the plant Cannabis sativa, selected
to have low levels of the illegal ingredient THC and is part of
trials conducted by long-term hemp advocate Steve Burnett.

Mr Burnett said he had provided consultation on growing two crops of
hemp in Golden Bay this year, one in the Takaka Valley which had not
been very successful and the Mears' crop near the coast.

The crop was being grown for bulk seeds.

"This is the basis of New Zealand's future hemp crop," said Mr Burnett.

Mr Mears said the crop had grown reasonably well without irrigation
in the light coastal soils and had been monitored for maturity this
week prior to harvest.

Seeds were ripening on the tall stems as the cool nights set in.

At maturity, the seed heads have a strong, hops-like aroma.

"The range of smells in this crop's incredible, but it makes your
fingers black with the sticky residue," commented Mr Mears.

He said the plants would be hand cut and stooked before being
harvested using an old barrel seed thresher from Riwaka.