Industrial hemp and a variety of products manufactured from the low THC (non-drug) variety of the species will form part of a new crops feature at UQ Gatton’s Open Day this Sunday, August 22.
The plant is one of a number of examples of new crops with commercial potential that will be featured ahead of the Second Australian New Crops Conference to be held at the UQ Gatton campus next month.
Others include native plants such as lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle that offer a range of potential uses based on their antibacterial properties and unique flavours.
UQ Gatton lecturer and conference coordinator Dr Rob Fletcher said the fledgling industrial hemp industry was heavily regulated and the plant could only be grown or exhibited under licence.
“The industrial hemp industry in this country is in its early days. Like a lot of other new crops, it shows a lot of promise as long as viable commercial uses for its products are found,” Dr Fletcher said.
“Some of the products identified so far include geotextiles, automotive fenders, speciality papers and animal bedding. But identifying the products is one thing. The difficulty for any new crop industry development is identifying a product that satisfies customer needs and then developing the supply chains to meet those needs.
“Academics and students from UQ Gatton are very involved in researching new crop opportunities and assisting industry to develop their market potential.
“We’ve been able to secure the necessary approvals to display industrial hemp at Sunday’s Open Day to demonstrate the opportunities here for aspiring students and visitors alike to further that work and in doing so, further diversify Australia’s agricultural base.”
Dr Fletcher said the means of turning exciting new crops into a commercial reality would be a major topic of the New Crops Conference at UQ Gatton from September 20 to 24.
The conference would include presentations from several new crop experts from the US, South Africa and Australia, under the banner of “Innovation and change for agriculture and horticulture.”
More information regarding the conference can be found at www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/nc2004/
The UQ Gatton Open Day runs from 9.30am to 3pm at the UQ Gatton Campus, Warrego Hwy.
For more information, contact Brad Henderson on (07) 5460 1229 or 0409.265.587.
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