By MICHAEL POLLITT, AGRICULTURAL EDITOR
East Anglia's vining pea growers could switch to a profitable alternative crop and plant hemp this spring, members of Norfolk's oldest farming club have been told.
And Europe's biggest hemp proces-sing plant at Halesworth is planning a £5m investment to boost production of insulation materials, said managing director Mike Duckett.
He told members of Stalham Farmers' Club that a housing development of 114 houses at Diss will use the environmentally-friendly material, made from hemp and lime, he said.
While the automotive industry was turning hemp fibre into a light-weight and strong car panels, Mr Duckett said that the crop's green credentials was starting to win major markets. The factory, which had the capacity to process seven tonnes an hour, was opened in July 2008.
"When we're running at full pelt, we will be processing about 50,000 tonnes each year. Now, today, we are not only processing hemp but also linseed straw. We're also turning 1,0000 tonnes of rape straw this year into animal bedding so spreading the risks,"said Mr Duckett. It was acquired by Lime Technology from administration in June last year and renamed Hemp Technology.
Since the modern hemp processing industry had started in 1993 by Harlow Agricultural Merchants, better growing techniques and processing had increased the potential opportunities, he added.