My Amazing Visit to China
4 -16 October 2024.
By Colin Steddy – Hemp Inside
Access to seed
I flew to Xiamen and was driven to Zhangpu, to catchup with Mr Xu and his father Rong Long from ZHANGPU ZHONGLONG KENAF SEEDS CO, LTD.
I first imported seed from Xu in 2017 after my visit in 2016 and have kept close contact since. We have formed a strong relationship. Working together with ideas on how to do more than just seed.
China can now get permits to grow in most parts of China. The THC must be below 0.35 unless you have a breeding licence. Mr Xu has a breeding program with a government centre in China, paid for by Xu, looking at hybrid hemp seed production. For me, it was an interesting site visit because:
- we are talking new varieties of hemp
- the breeding program is looking at 4 tonnes per ha, so hemp can compete with soy.
Currently there is a world shortage of hemp seed for food and planting seed. I am hearing reports of low yields and low germination across the world.
ZHANGPU ZHONGLONG KENAF SEEDS CO, LTD has potential to produce eight hundred tonnes of planting seed for export around the world.
Hunter Valley Hemp Seed & Grain, a new enterprise with Bob and Susan Doyle and myself. We will be growing the Chinese varieties in early 2025 for planting in the 2025 September season. We will also export.
Please contact me for information. Details below.
Research needed
New research needs to be done on the flowering and pollen drop with dioicous varieties.
With the findings that seed from around the world is having issues with low seed germination and bad vigour. We thought this was to do with heat and temperature; there is more to learn about the flowering times especially in diecious varieties. Mr Xu and I have been working on a seed testing protocol.
When male pollen falls, are the females ready and what are the weather conditions?
Is it cold and wet are the day length short?
This looks like the results at Hamilton in Victoria for the long season varieties. Because of cold short days there was little seed produced exactly as I have been suggesting. Long season seed crops should be grown in the north then moved south for fibre and biomass production.
Could this also be a result of germination rates falling quickly and low plant vigour? We are looking for the collection of flowering and weather conditions in relation to germination rate drop and low seed vigour. I would like our researchers to look at this.
Exploring seed testing protocols
We are looking at building new seed testing protocols on how to monitor what might happen with seed longevity. The hemp industry in Australia needs to keep all data from planting and fertiliser inputs and timing.
What triggers THC spikes?
Why do seeds loose germination?
Fibre quality, planting density (plants per m2) and fertilise can have an enormous impact. Let alone how the machinery and retting occur. Know the spec from the end user?
In the north of Australia long season varieties continually get higher grain yields. South European, and some Australian varieties do better than in the hot north.
How you move the varieties in latitude will give you a different outcome, seed size, yield, or biomass. This also happens in China just south to north. See AgriFutures hemp trial results from all sites in Australia.
The one thing that has not been calculated in the result is grain yield/price and biomass price. As a grower we need to know the total income from a crop. You can work this out yourself. Find the yields of biomass and seed and give them a value on current market. I work on $2.65 for grain and $3.50 for biomass as the stalk is less value than just a biomass crop.
Currently in China there is a large demand for hemp fibre and China is sourcing fibre from every corner of the world.
Is your fibre going into textiles, insulation, weed matting or paper? Each end product requires different specs and price. How much hurd can be in the fibre? Or is it a whole stalk product?
My visit to a textile mill
I visited a textile mill in Shanghai (CPL) that want to purchase textile fibre from Australia; the mill makes clothing, with hemp blended with other fibres. Lisa was my interpreter and looked after me.
Their demand is growing, and they could be looking for up to 10,000 tonnes!
Once again, I was treated like a king and taken to dinner and sightseeing to Xitang, an old Chinese town. Usually it is very crowed, but it was raining and was thankfully incredibly quiet. The market was a maze of thin walkways with shops selling food and a vast array of items big and small. It was very beautiful.
This mill has a contact living in South Australia. His name is Yao Yang, and he kindly organised my visit. I wanted to see the fibre quality they need so I can help Australian growers and processors meet the specifications. Today there is a massive shortage of textile hemp fibre – how long it will last, we do not know.
I introduced them to Mr Xu, my friend in Zhangpu. Unlike Australia, the industry in China is large and they were not familiar with each other. Along with Lisa, my interpreter, Mr Chunlei Hou and Professor Fan, a polymer academic took me to lunch. They were very warm and friendly.
Before we drove to the mill, we discussed growing the right fibre, retting and what spec they need. They have some samples from Australia that need to have less hurd – below 10% is ok. The only mill I know that is close to their spec is Gary Rogers in WA and Bob and Susan Doyles’ that needs a few modifications to clean the fibre and the dust extraction. It also needs a shed to store the fibre.
Mr Ho will visit me in NSW next time he visits as he imports wine from Australia.
I can help anyone that would like to know seed density. 200 to 350 plants per sqm. Please see my contact details below.
Fibre is in demand
There are other textile mills in China chasing fibre. It all comes down to quality and price.
The issue is that there may only be one processor in Australia that can meet the quality for textiles short or long. For long textile grade you need a scutching line. I have also been told there is another market for 40 to 70 mm textile fibre for blending with other fibres.
If there is interest, I hope to visit every processor in Australia to check their fibre length and quality, before December, to help our industry grow.
I will be looking to find hemp fibre to match the end processing machinery that I am exploring for internationally. We need the exact fibre quality to match the end manufacturing plant – from variety, plant density, harvesting style and fibre separation. You cannot make a horse lay eggs!
To purchase any manufacturing plant and not know what your fibre and hurd
is going to make, is not smart and is a waste of money.
As usual there are many things that can be made from hemp, it all comes down to the cost of production. Today the price of hemp hurd is making it unprofitable, but prices at $1500 per tonne change things and open up markets. We need to create a fibre demand to be able to bring prices down. Most of the world is about fibre, hurd is a secondary product.
I have some other markets that need a different fibre that is shorter, 20 to 30 mm and 3% hurd can be suitable. If anyone has this, please contact me.
The many uses for hemp
There are some interesting developments with Lignin glue (hemp plastic) and I had the pleasure of drinking multiple flavoured hemp milks.
I have been working and talking weekly with Mr Xu since my visit in 2017, developing and discussing many hemp related projects. It is amazing how he has the ability to do so many things.
Hemp Inside is building a new website to show what is possible and to market new products.
It is our goal at Hemp Inside to bring the manufacturing plants to Australia with the help of ZHANGPU ZHONGLONG KENAF SEEDS CO, LTD. Not “Made in China,” rather “Made with China” – in a partnership.
Hemp Inside will be helping to make a hempcrete wall in ZHANGPU ZHONGLONG KENAF SEEDS CO, LTD, a new factory in China with our binder created by Elia Saba in Western Australia.
Hemp weed matting
I have brought home five samples of hemp weed matting among a bag full of other products. The weed matting can have as low as 160 g per m2 with added lignin. This product will come pre rolled, with pre-cut holes to your desired spacing and configuration. There are also some secret recipes in the matting – all natural and biodegradable. I am testing the decay of the samples in our garden now. This product line will be able to lay with the existing weed matt layers.
For those interested in weed matting I have a video the matting on Instagram @aussiehempinsider
The joys of doing business in China
The hospitality I was afforded was second to none; I was treated like a King by my host Xu and fed like one. If I had one thing to whinge about it was too much delicious food and tea! Hardly a complaint. And as for Xu’s father’s white spirit, I did have to slow him down – we are both getting older.
It is a custom in China that you are offered a smoke before sitting down for tea while you discuss business. On one of my biggest days, I met seven different people, which means seven servings of tea. Chinese tea is not like Australian tea. You have one person that make the tea and their job is to keep topping up your small, one mouth full sized cup.
I do not speak Mandarin or Cantonese. A translator app on my phone was my go-to, helping me to communicate with basic needs and courtesies.
From my experience, the Chinese people I met in Zhangpu are relaxed and take time to go about their day. The traffic is a different story. It wanders everywhere, and, in every direction. There are set rules but a beep on the horn says, ‘I am here’ and the cars and bikes just wander from lane to lane. It just works. There are no police on the roads and no crime. In fact, Xu leaves his windows down when he parks his car in the streets. I wish I could do that in a city in Australia!
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact me on
M: 0407195340
E: colinhempinside@gmail.com