FIRST INDUSTRIAL HEMP CROP ON TRACK FOR SEED PRESSING

Nelson's first trial crop of industrial hemp is in the ground and growing
at an undisclosed location near Motueka.

The seeds were planted on October 21 and the seedlings emerged four days later.

``So far so good,'' a spokesman for the project said. He expected seeds
from the plants would be ready for pressing for seed oil at the end of
February.

However, the trial was lucky to be so far advanced because it had been
difficult to source seed that met Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
requirements, he said.

``We've had enormous problems. We've got a lot of contacts out there, and
when it came to sourcing the seeds, no problem,'' the spokesman said.

``But when it came to sourcing seeds with the right phytosanitary
certification for importing, it proved quite difficult.''

Many of the seed companies were only certified for Europe. The trial's
uniko B and kompolti-type seeds came from a specialised Hungarian breeding
institute, he said.

Funding was also a hurdle. Lobbying to get approval for the trial was
costly and the spokesman estimated some lobbyists had spent up to $300,000
to get to the stage he was at now.

``It hasn't cost me anything like that, but it has kept me poor for quite a
few years.''

The 0.1 hectare seed trial is one of 13 trial crops around the country
approved by the Ministry of Health in August. There is also approval to
trial a 0.4ha crop for fibre.

Industrial hemp is a variety of cannabis with minute levels of the
psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannibol (THC). The hemp must contain less
than 0.35 percent of THC -- a thirtieth of the THC level found in cannabis
used as a drug.

The seed oil can be used for a variety of purposes, from salad dressings to
lip balm. The fibre can be used for clothing to building materials.

The trial is growing in a former belt of pine trees.

Covers of bird netting, shade netting and frost cloth are being trialled.

The ground was prepared with a rotary hoe. The plants had not yet been fed.
``It's a weed. Just plant it and it grows,'' the spokesman said.

The grower has had experience with hemp cultivation in Europe where it has
been grown as an industrial crop for many years.

The trial has security measures in place, which were part of the
requirements for ministry approval. However, the spokesman was unsure why
anybody would wish to pinch the crop.

``There is negligible drug content in there, I don't know why anybody would
be interested. There is more novelty in seeing it grown for fibre.''