Hemp Production in Italy

Abstract

Abstract After a short history of hemp in Italy, this article lists the events that have brought back the cultivation of this fibre crop in Italy in recent years. The cultivation technique used for baby hemp is briefly described and the preliminary results of its processing are given. Baby hemp is a hemp crop grown at high plant densities (400–500 plants m−2) that is chemically desiccated when the height of 120–140 cm is reached and that is harvested with the machines used for flax. Advantages, problems and possible solutions for this technique are presented.