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May 9,
2005 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Agri-Food Research and Development
Initiative (ARDI) announced today it is providing Parkland
Industrial Hemp Growers with $165,000 over three years to support a
plant breeding research program for hemp.
“Manitoba producers are becoming known the
world over for their expertise in growing industrial hemp,” says
ARDI Chair David Gislason. “We are pleased to support the
persistence and innovation of farmers in the Dauphin area, who, bit
by bit, are building a viable hemp industry from the ground up.”
All seed planted for
the production of industrial hemp in Canada must be of pedigreed
status (certified or better), which makes plant breeding of crucial
importance to Parkland growers.
“Without a plant
breeding program, we would forever be relying on others for
certified seed,” says Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers Chair Joe
Federowich. “We have an opportunity here to control part of
our destiny – and we’re very happy to seize that chance.”
The main priority of the research will be to
improve yields as well as oil and fibre quality. Specifically, the
program will:
§
Develop lines (from varieties such as Alyssa) and new
varieties that will mature in Manitoba with low THC, produce oil
with high GLA content and an acceptable Omega 3:6 balance (see
attached Backgrounder for details).
“Industrial hemp is a commodity with many
value-added opportunities, including the processing of the stalk
into high performance fibre products, such as paper, textiles and
composites for the aerospace industry,” said Gislason. “ARDI
recognizes the enormous potential for this product, especially in
the huge untapped marketplace that is the United States, where
growing industrial hemp still falls outside the law.”
Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers was formed in
1999 as a means to facilitate the production and processing of
industrial hemp.
ARDI is a research and development funding
program sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Manitoba
Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. ARDI supports innovation
that leads to new opportunities in value-added processing and
diversification.
The next application deadline for ARDI funding
is June 1, 2005.
For more information, please contact:
ARDI Home -
Contact ARDI |
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