The special of aroma of hemp will fill the air in Golden Bay on Saturday as this year's crop is harvested.

Peter and Nikita Mears are expecting a good turnout of friends to help hand-harvest the half-hectare crop they are licensed to grow.

The crop is a special variety of the plant Cannabis sativa, selected to have low levels of the illegal ingredient THC and is part of trials conducted by long-term hemp advocate Steve Burnett.

Mr Burnett said he had provided consultation on growing two crops of hemp in Golden Bay this year, one in the Takaka Valley which had not been very successful and the Mears' crop near the coast.

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