Malawi Land For Industrial Hemp, Mutharika Wants It Grown

A Malawian company ‘Invegrow’ says the country is potential land for Industrial Hemp farming in Africa continent and can offer enormous economic opportunity once it is adopted as cash crop.

 

Tanya Clarke

Invegrow Founder and Director, Tanya Clarke disclosed this in Lilongwe when her company and another South African company, Hemporium were making presentations of importance of Industrial Hemp and how it must be disassociated with Indian Hemp or Marijuana locally known as Chamba.

Clarke said Industrial Hemp not used for smoking can support diversify Malawi economy and offer opportunity for foreign exchange earnings.

She said; “Government is pushing for the agro-processing and farming, The Industrial Hemp is a crop with extremely economic potential and supports National Export Strategy of oil seed cluster in Malawi.”

Products from Industrial Hemp

Concrete for construction can be obtained fro the crop

From natural fibres of the crop, Clarke said can be used make range of products such as: food products for the health food market; construction materials and automotive industries; pharmaceutical products; cosmetics; and textiles.

Currently she said the crop is being grown in over 36 countries across the globe and the plant grows organically easily; grown without herbicides or a lot of pesticides.

“Climate is good here and almost everyone is an expert farmer, so we really see Malawi becoming a World Leader in Industrial Hemp” she added

Since, some people have got a very conservative view towards the plant and are very scared of hemp mostly due to regulations, Clarke, clarified that Industrial Hemp is not Marijuana but are of the same family. She said industrial hemp therefore does not contain psychoactive chemical elements that affect people when smoked.

The Invegrow founder has asked support from all Malawians to request Government have the Legislative changes of definitions of cannabis so that the hemp is adopted as a new cash crop in Malawi and Malawians benefiting from its products on both a health and economic level. However, she said this requires market access, creating production lines and showing a proof of concept model.

Tony Budden

To cement Invegrow’s remarks, Marketing Manager for Hemporium, Tony Budden, emphasized that the Industrial Hemp fibre is three times stronger than cotton. “Its fabrics are durable and long lasting and that its seeds are incredibly healthy source of protein and nutritious oils packed with all 8 of the Omega or essential fatty acids needed for immune system.” He said

                                          

“This crop fits so well into small scale farming and commercial farming. So the opportunities are definitely there.” He added

Budden also distanced the herb from Chamba saying the herb is not used for smoking it and is not a drug crop. But he said though, it is from the same family, it is used for different purposes.

“In nature we have to look at how we use things, the plant is not bad; some people use for bad purposes, while some people use for good purpose. So we are promoting the Industrial uses of the herb plant” he added

Budden also expressed hope of opportunity for change in Malawi looking at the way government has recently responded to calls for the approval of the plant and how people look at the plant now.

He said it is very important that government has allowed Chitedze Research Station to carryout study of the crop with funding from Invegrow (Government as a joint venture to do the research.)

The Hemporioum Marketing Director has emphasized that said it will be up to the government to make new regulations to allow Industrial Hemp grown and also Malawians to demand speedy enactment of the legislation so that they can begin to grow it and start to realize the benefits.

Hon Boniface Kadzamira: President Mutharika wants it

Meanwhile the Nchisi North Parliamentarian, Hon Boniface Kadzamira who first brought the issue in the National Assembly that the Industrial Hemp should be grown in Malawi, has hinted that President Peter Mutharika expressed his full support to idea that the herb be grown in the country during recent meeting with him.

“Government has seen the need to diversify and try Industrial Hemp” said the parliamentarian who could not hide his excitement following government go ahead to Chitedze Research Station for trials of growing the plant.

“Since I mention this issue in Parliament, I see change in people’s opinion toward the plant because at first they thought I was talking about Marijuana. But now people from my constituency and others from across the country are calling to ask for the seeds” said Kadzamira

However, the parliamentarian has since urged media to create awareness on the economic benefits of the hemp and how it is different from Marijuana because at the moment he said Malawians knows little on this matter.