Now, there’s a long list of plants that’ve been oversold, but that’s the way salespeople work.
However, with diversification a top priority for many farm business owners, incorporating new crops into a system can be advantageous.
Hemp is one that’s been in the news a lot in the past year or so, and it’s already benefiting the early adopters.
Now we have miscanthus, which has many uses from a feed source to harvesting as a biofuel source.
It’s a perennial, yields about the same as maize, pays about $250/t and harvests in winter.
As with any new crop, each farmer will have to weigh up their business, climate and soils before committing.
But it’s great to see new ideas being floated that can help farmers prosper while improving the environment.
Bryan Gibson
Synlait Milk anticipates up to $30m loss
Synlait Milk now expects to report a full-year net loss and said its banking syndicate has granted a waiver of relevant covenants.
Hemp industry told to build partnerships
Find trusted partners through the supply chain and put the customer at the core of everything.
That is the advice New Zealand Merino (NZM) marketing and development manager Hadleigh Smith has for the hemp industry as it looks to capitalise on the worldwide megatrends around heath and sustainability.
Miscanthus offers multiple fuel and farm options
When Peter Brown started investigating establishing miscanthus in New Zealand in 2009, decarbonisation was barely in the lexicon, biofuels had been given the boot by the National government and dairying was seen as the growth answer for the primary sector.
Wheat grower award entries now open
Wheat growers keen to rate their crops against the best in the country need to get their entries in now for the 2021 United Wheatgrowers Bayer wheat awards.
Call for better nitrate reporting systems
New research released by the University of Otago has highlighted growing evidence linking nitrates in drinking water with adverse birth outcomes.
