Pubdate: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Copyright: 1999 The StarPhoenix Contact: 204 5th Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7K 2P1 Fax: (306) 664-0437 Website: http://www.saskstar.sk.ca/ HOPE ON A ROPE Why hasn't Premier Roy Romanow thought of this? According to the Reverend Brother Walter Tucker, stalwart of the Church/University of the Universe, we're standing on the brink of an agricultural revolution. All the farmers have to do is grow hemp and prepare for the good times. The Rev. Tucker is so convinced of this that he's written to both Premier Roy Romanow and federal Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief to push the idea. In a master stroke of conciseness, Tucker writes: "Dear Honourable Ministers," Hemp, The Tree of Life can save the farmers of the West." That's it. That's the whole thing. It's probably the briefest brief to government ever written. But Tucker has plenty more to say on the topic. In case you've forgotten he is the long-time advocate for the legalization of marijuana and sidekick to the Rev. Michael Baldasaro, who tried to run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives last year. Their antics also included lobbying the local government of Hamilton, Ont. to create a nudist beach in the area. Having failed to shake up the economy from the top down, Tucker and Baldasaro are bent on doing it from the grassroots, so to speak. In this case, that means planting a seed with our political leaders in the hopes they will recognize opportunity when it's thrust in their faces. Born and raised in Rosthern before moving east, Tucker believes Saskatchewan needs hemp now more than ever. "All of the people that have ambition usually move out of Saskatchewan because there is no opportunity for them there in terms of industry. So they come east and they go west but they don't stay in Saskatchewan, because there's no opportunity. If we started to grow hemp in Saskatchewan, we could start a paper processing plant, we could start a fabric plant, and a whole range of other things." Can it be this simple? Alas, probably not. As it happens, nearly 200 farmers in Saskatchewan have licences to grow hemp, that is, the harmless cousin to the marijuana plant that has no narcotic properties. While the crop has possibilities, it's no panacea, says provincial special crops specialist Ray McVicar. "It's a market that's still young. We could easily overproduce the market right now until it gets established. There are guys who have made good money at it over the last two years. I think they've put a lot of effort into it too. I don't think it's been an easy thing to grow." Mervin Ermel can attest to that. The Bethune area organic farmer is trying to get his second consecutive hemp crop off this fall, at least what little is left after a hail storm wiped out the entire 65 acres. Last year, he got a crop that grew to eight feet tall, too big to put through the swather. But aside from the usual adjustments to a new crop there is potential, says Ermel. At $35 a bushel, a 15 bushel per acre crop would produce $525 per acre. That's not chickenfeed. "I think it's an option for diversification and for organic farmers, it has good prospects because it works well into rotation. It also has a good canopy which retards weed growth," says Ermel. The question is markets. Ermel likes the idea of further processing in paper and textiles, "but the big boys are in that, so it's going to be tough." Who knows, maybe the provincial government will take an interest and look for ways to promote the industry. After all Romanow says diversification is the heart of the NDP economic policy. Maybe it calls for targeted tax cuts for construction of hemp processing facilities. Maybe the new coalition government would like to form a new Crown corporation to nurture the industry. Call it SaskHemp maybe, or Son of Spudco. It calls for something because the pressure is on. If the NDP fails, the Rev. Tucker threatens to return to Saskatchewan and run for office himself to get this industry underway. "I would love to come back and say it the way it should be said. Bless you." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea