The UK Government Responds on Hemp for Fuel
Question: July 2004
Sent to Laurel
Bush, True Hemp Campaign, Caithness laurelbush1952@hotmail.com
Crops for energy
DEFRA
Area 5A
Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AL
Tel 020 7238 6000
Website http://www.defra.gov.uk/
Biomass fuel sources
Dear Ms Bush
Thank you for your letters dated 14th July to Patricia Hewitt MP and 16
July to Margaret Becket MP about growing hemp for biofuel production, both of
which have been forwarded to this department for reply.
The Government recognises the important role that growing crops for
biomass can play in helping to meet the Government's targets for reducing
carbon dioxide emissions. The Government is also keen to promote the
opportunities that biomass energy offers for farm diversification and
supporting rural jobs and areas.
The potential for hemp to be used as a crop for biomass has been
researched in the past. However, the consensus in the literature available
suggests that hemp is not competitive with perennial crops such as miscanthus
or short rotation coppice for biomass energy. For example, hemp requires annual
nitrogen dressings together with maintenance dressings of phosphorus &
potassium. As well as the economic costs of fertilisers, the environmental cost
of fertilisers in terms of fossil fuels burned to create them is also an issue.
This contrasts with miscanthus and short rotation coppice which require hardly
any inputs. In addition, special harvesting equipment is required for hemp due
to the height and fibrous nature of the crop.
Following an agreement on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy,
farmers growing energy crops including hemp on both set-aside and non set-aside
land in England will receive payments under the new Single Payment Scheme to be
launched in 2005. An additional €45 per hectare energy crops payment is already
available for crops grown on non set-aside land. Full details of this payment
and the requirements for claiming them can be found on the Rural Payments
Agency website at: http://www.rpa.gov.uk
Yours Sincerely,
Matthew Ashton
Bioenergy Policy Advisor
matthew.ashton@defra.gov.uk
Lord Larry Whitty
DEFRA
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
From John Thurso MP, Ref 201499/CH, 28 July 2004, the following
From Lord Whitty, Ministry of Food, Farming and Sustainable Energy
COMMERCIAL HEMP CROPS FOR INDUSTRIAL OIL AND ENERGY
Thank you for your letter of 28 June to Stephen Timms on behalf of a
constituent about the non-food uses of hemp. I am replying as the Minister
responsible for this area, and I am sorry for the delay in doing so.
Most of the hemp grown in this country is at present harvested for its
fibre content and there is an EU processing aid regime for the fibre produced
from flax and hemp. This Department is keen to encourage diversification into
new non-food uses of crops and alternative uses for hemp may well be one way
forward. We have just finished consulting on a Strategy for Non-Food Uses of
Crops and after considering the responses received, will be publishing a final
version in the autumn. In addition, Defra has set up the National Non-Food
Crops Centre (NNFCC) which aims to build sustainable supply chains for non-food
crops. Its website is at http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/.
The NNFCC is aware of work to trial a new "dual variety" of hemp,
Finola, which can be harvested both for its fibre and for the oil content of
its seeds. This particular trial is still in its infancy.
I presume your constituent is referring to hemp used as biomass when he
or she speaks of it being able to meet our energy needs. This is an area where
research leads us to be less positive. Up to now the consensus has been that
hemp, as a spring sown annual crop, is not competitive with perennial crops
such as miscanthus or short rotation coppice for biomass energy, although, it
is possible that a dual variety, grown for seed and biomass, may yet change the
economics of this. It is also worth noting that under CAP reform, with effect
from 1 January 2004, it has been possible to claim an Energy Crop Payment of
€45 per hectare for crops grown for an energy use on non set-aside land; it
remains to be seen whether any farmers in the European Community will take up
this option to grow hemp for energy purposes.
With regard to the "illegal" status of hemp, it is indeed
correct that all varieties of cannabis, including industrial hemp, are
controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Home Office licences are
required to grow it. However, a licensing system such as this has the advantage
of protecting the status of bona fide operations. In addition, because a
licence grants prior approval to growers of hemp for fibre, the EU Regulations
allow a lower inspection rate for this crop, thereby reducing the burden for
these growers. The Home Office has worked to ensure that both the
administrative and financial costs of their licensing system have been reduced
to a minimal level. There are no plans to stop licensing hemp cultivation in
the future.
Your constituent might contact the NNFCC (telephone 01904 435182), if he
or she wishes to discuss other potential uses for hemp further.
LARRY WHITTY