The Canadian province of Alberta is moving fast to develop infrastructure to support dual-cropping of hemp grain and fiber through ambitious initiatives that look to expand the output of raw materials amid projections that hemp farming and processing will grow exponentially in the coming years.

Canada’s top hemp producer, Alberta turns out roughly 40% of the country’s total output from an estimated 40,000 acres grown in the province. Those fields could reach a million acres within five years, the Alberta Hemp Alliance has predicted, providing potentially massive amounts of waste hemp stalks from local grain farmers.

“By purchasing hemp directly from Alberta’s farmers and processing it here in the province, these projects will mitigate production risks for producers and create new value-added hemp products that will help grow Alberta’s thriving hemp industry,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, the federal government’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said following the recent announcement of a total CAD $900,000 (US $720,000/€708,000) in grants earmarked for two Alberta-based hemp companies.

Read full story here: https://hemptoday.net/canadas-alberta-province-pushes-dual-cropping-for-fiber-and-grain/