Hemp growers in China benefit from the many Uses of Hemp as they sell all parts of the plant to a variety of industries. The fibrous stalks are sold to textile companies, the leaves, with their medicinal properties, are sold to pharmaceutical companies, and the seeds go to food manufacturers who produce nutritious snacks, oils, and beverages.
Jiang Xingquan, a farmer in northern China, grows a plot of hemp every spring. He grows about 600 hectares of hemp each year, and it is legal for him to do so.
Xingquan is one of many farmers in Heilongjiang province, cashing in on this crop and earning at least 10,000 yuan (USD$1,500) per hectare. Other crops yield a fraction of this amount. An additional benefit is that hemp requires almost no pesticides, greatly reducing this added expense.
In this northern province, hemp cultivation became legal and regulated just last year. Prior to that, the government simply ignored the issue, allowing farmers to get away with growing it, appreciating the economic benefit for the people. Yunnan province, where regulations have been in place since 2003, is the other major hemp-growing region in China.
These two areas make up a thriving industry in China, and are responsible for approximately half of the world’s legal supply of hemp.
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