Major Breakthrough for Eastern Cape Hemp Industry

A major breakthrough has been made for the emerging Eastern Cape hemp sector by the production of hemp fibre from existing cotton processing technology.

It has proven that South Africa has existing capability for the full value chain, from farming through to the weaving of linen, according to Duma Maquebela, Buffalo City branch manager of the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEDFA).

Having a market for hemp has the potential to unlock thousands of rural jobs as two thousand hemp growing permits have been issued, but there has been no market for the product, according to Archie Madumane, a Stutterheim farmer and member of the Eastern Cape Hemp Producer’s Association.

He and other farmers in the association have grown hemp successfully, “but the problem was there was nobody to buy what we had planted and harvested”.

This will change as it has been shown that hemp can be processed locally.

“We were told it could not be done using the equipment we have in South Africa, but we proved the doubters wrong,” says Raj Jagesar, founder of Ledile Textile and Fibre Processing.

Examples of the first run of fabric were shown at a stakeholder engagement session in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Clothing designed by the Koloni Hub Fashion Incubator in KuGompo and manufactured by Time Clothing based in the metro were modelled during the session.

Ledile aims to produce organic hemp fabric for suppliers to the premium market in Europe.

The next phase of the project includes the establishment of clusters of small to medium-scale farmers with supporting infrastructure to grow hemp, including the provision of suitable seed, said Dr Sunshine Blouw from the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency

Hemp has a faster return for farmers than cannabis because it is harvested in around three months, before a flower is formed.

It is suitable for winter and summer planting, according to Dr Blouw.

“For first three years, government should support the farmers 100%,” says Dr Sunshine Blouw, field crop sector head at the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA).

“That is how other countries support new industries. If we do that, we’ll then build the necessary confidence with farmers that they can make money from this crop,” he adds.

Hempire is funded by the ECRDA, SEDFA and the Dept of Small Business Development and commercial partners.

Hemp production is supported by the Eastern Cape government due to its versatility, according to Blouw.

There are over 50 000 products which can be made from the hemp plant, which he describes as a “multi billion rand” market in South Africa, of which the textile market is a “low hanging fruit”.