Hemp Yields Above Average

Written by Kelvin Heppner
Friday, 05 October 2012 06:50




Hemp yields in southern Manitoba were above average this year.

Will Wellborn, Seed Production Manager with Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils, says growers have been reporting yields ranging from 20 to 35 bushels per acre.

"That's great because the average hemp yield is typically around 15 bushels an acre," he says.

Some fields got off to a slow start due to excess moisture in spring.

"Hemp doesn't really like wet feet, but it pulled through when we got that heat. It handled it a bit better than a lot of the other crops," says Wellborn. "It has a deep taproot, so once it got established, it really took off in that warm weather we had in June and July."

The number of acres licensed for hemp production in Canada in 2012 was up significantly from last year. Wellborn says in 2011 roughly 50 thousand acres were licensed, but only around 35 thousand were seeded due to excess moisture.

"There were 80 thousand acres licensed to go into production this year. We'll see how many actually went into the ground, but in Manitoba, our acres would account for around 30 percent," he says. "It's usually close to 30-30-30 across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta."

Hemp production in Manitoba has historically been most concentrated in the Parkland region, but that's changing, says Wellborn.

"We're seeing guys growing it around Winnipeg, and into the southwest as well. Growers are seeing the benefits," he says.

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