Industrial hemp's biggest fan: Country music star James Blundell

In this episode of AgriFutures On Air, we unpack the three-year-long, $2.5 million investment that is the Industrial Hemp Variety Trials (IHVT), and chat to a country music star who has joined a new wave of farmers embracing the potential of industrial hemp as a multi-purpose super crop.

IHVT National Coordinator Mark Skewes explains how growers involved in the IHVT have made huge inroads into our understanding of the crops' growing conditions, while Australian country singer James Blundell tells of his success with the trials and his plans to expand. 

The need for the IHVT was identified in the Australian Industrial Hemp Strategic RD&E Plan (2022-2027) developed by AgriFutures Australia, which sets out a clear pathway to grow the industry. The plan has five major objectives covering seed and varieties; growing the crop; products produced from the crop; the sustainability of hemp; and the regulatory environment.

Featured in this episode:

• James Blundell, Australian country music singer, South East Queensland farmer, and AgriFutures Industrial Hemp Variety Trial participant
• Mark Skewes, Irrigation Research Scientist, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), and National Coordinator for the AgriFutures Industrial Hemp Variety Trials

Related content:

• Country music superstar opens gates to South East QLD farm for industrial hemp field day: https://agrifutures.com.au/news/country-music-superstar-opens-gates-to-south-east-qld-farm-for-industrial-hemp-field-day/
• Industrial Hemp Variety Trials now with national footprint: https://agrifutures.com.au/news/industrial-hemp-variety-trials-now-with-national-footprint/