Cultivation

With more than a quarter of a century of experience in Dutch hemp cultivation, HempFlax is your partner of choice for your industrial hemp crop. In 1994 we started with 140 acres and over the years this has grown to over 2400 acres. Also this year, our hemp farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Romania will be guided by our team of experts during growth until harvest.

We are always looking for new growers!

SOCIAL IMPORTANCE

HempFlax’ ambition is to promote an agriculture that connects economy, farmer and living environment. Hemp fiber cultivation can actively contribute to a sustainable, competitive agricultural sector and a livable countryside and supports the necessary transition to circular agriculture and the climate challenge.

GROWING HEMP, WHAT DOES IT YIELD?

You sow (around April-May), we harvest (around August-September) and in between there is really nothing to do: no fertilization, no crop protection measures That not only saves expensive inputs and huge fuel costs, but also a lot of (labor) work.

Hemp prefers to grow on soils with a good soil structure and does not like wet feet. We have good experience with sand, peat and/or light sulfur, with good soil structure fiber hemp also grows very well on light clay. Hemp is considered a good pre-fertilizer because the crop suppresses weeds and leaves a good structure of the building soil. Consumer/starch potatoes, sugar beets or cut corn like to grow on soils where hemp has stood, as do barley and wheat.

Think of it as a reset for your soil: your soil gets 4 months of rest and the deep roots create an airy soil that will add value for subsequent fruit. The hemp plant’s fast soil cover naturally suppresses weeds and crop storage.

HEMP – A SUSTAINABLE CROP

Growing hemp contributes not only to good soil, but also to clean water, clean air, increased biodiversity, beautiful landscape and climate. With two-thirds of the land area in the Netherlands, the agricultural area is the largest habitat for plants and animals. Arable farmers manage a significant portion of this land and affect their environment with their business operations.

HempFlax would like to enter into a long-term cooperation with arable farmers who want to make a positive impact on their environment. Hemp farmers who want to actively contribute to implement an integral set of Critical Performance Indicators (KPIs) to promote sustainable cultivation practices.

Critical Performance Indicators

1. Percentage of rest crops: hemp is extremely suitable as a rest crop (recognized in current 7th Nitrate Directive), because hemp has very deep roots and can therefore absorb nutrients deeper from the soil.
2. Organic matter balance: because of its deep rooting, hemp cultivation contributes greatly to soil organic matter accumulation.
3. Nitrogen operating surplus: through its deep rooting, the hemp plant can return previously leached nitrogen back into the mineral cycle.
4. Environmental impact of plant protection products: no plant protection products are applied in growing hemp.
5. Percent soil cover: hemp is a recognized dormant crop and grows up to four feet tall in a short period of time.
6. Carbon Footprint: due to its woody structure and great height, hemp can store large amounts of CO2 during the growing season and up to long-term storage when processed into building materials, among other things.
7. Nature and landscape management: because no cultivation operations take place between sowing and harvesting, it is ideally suited as a food source and/or nesting and hiding place for local species groups.
8. Crop diversity: hemp actively contributes to increasing crop diversity. Of the current 535,000 hectares of arable land, only 1,677 hectares were covered with fiber hemp (CBR, 2022). Scaling up would therefore contribute to Dutch crop diversity.

JOIN US

If you, as a farmer entrepreneur, would also like to actively contribute to sustainability and local initiatives that improve the quality of life in the countryside and support circular agriculture and the climate challenge, or if you would like to stay informed about the latest developments, please contact us today.

We are happy to enter into a long-term partnership with future hemp farmers.