This episode: HempToday Editor & Publisher Kehrt Reyher reviews answers to the Hemp Farming Outlook Micro-Survey and discusses seed selection and procurement with Hana Gabrielova, European hemp veteran, seed broker, farmer and CEO at Hempoint in the Czech Republic.

Time stamp guide to the episode:

00:00 – Intro

00:23 – Biographical background: Hana Gabrielova

* Hana’s work with HempTheClimate* Hana’s work with the EC Industrial Crop Focus Group on Sustainable Industrial Crops in Europe* Hana’s work with the International Cannabis & Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI)* Hana’s work with the CzecHemp Cluster

08:25 – Responses & responding countries

* Purpose of the survey.

09:21 – Survey Question 1: What raw materials are you growing for in 2020? 

* Trends and outlook for fiber. * A moment of transition and experimentation. * Status of fiber processing infrastructure. * Priming the market for fiber. 

17:19 – Survey Question 2: How many hemp varieties will you grow in 2020? Research and experimental planting. 

* Why farmers plant different varieties. * Recommendations for hemp seed food production varieties. * Recommendations for developing fiber farming.

20:20 – European catalogue of hemp varieties. 

* Most popular and available varieties. * Characteristics of European hemp varieties. * Future of cultivation seed pricing. * Requirements to be in the seed multiplication business. * Low-THC strains. * THC levels around the world.* Multi cropping.

31:48 – Survey Question 3: How do you decide what seeds to grow?

* Recommendations for sourcing planting seed.* Buying European seed for growing in USA.

37:53 – Latitude as a factor in selecting seeds.

* Breeding hemp for different climates.* Importance of indigenous varieties.

43:01 – Survey Question 4: Where did you/do you plan to purchase seeds for the 2020 planting year?

* The market for cultivation seeds this year* Trends among buyers* Who are the buyers?

46:15 – Survey Question 5: How many hectares/acres of hemp will you grow in 2020?

* Where and how Hempoint farms* Economics of growing hemp on a small scale

48:33 – Other topics

* Status of market information & transparency* Looking ahead: Industrial hemp in 2025

Related on HempToday: 

* Job No. 1: ‘Educate and promote green alternatives based on hemp’* Two hemp veterans named to key EU focus group on agriculture* U.S. farmers & processors ‘feeling pinch’ as growth of market slows* At Obelisk Farm: Small dreams and big ideas about industrial hemp

Referenced resources:

* RichardRoseReport.com* Nando Knodel

Produced by: HempToday;