The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

MPI backs project to establish Levin firm's hemp seed processing plant

The Country
18 Nov, 2021 02:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hemp Connect founders inspecting the company's first crop in Fordell, Whanganui. Photo / Supplied

Hemp Connect founders inspecting the company's first crop in Fordell, Whanganui. Photo / Supplied

A new project aiming to establish a hemp seed processing plant in New Zealand has received backing from the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Hemp Connect's two-year pilot project ultimately aims to enable locally grown hemp food products to compete with imported varieties.

Since 2020, the Levin-based company has been working on creative solutions for processing New Zealand grown hemp more efficiently and reducing production costs.

"One of the keys to reducing costs has been researching how to use the entire seed, as well as the associated waste streams," managing director of Hemp Connect Mathew Johnson said.

The project could be a game-changer for the local hemp industry.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Our goal with this project is to make hemp food production in New Zealand a viable and internationally competitive option."

Traditionally, the cost of importing hemp food had been significantly cheaper than producing it locally, Johnson said.

"By increasing the scale of production, new product developments such as husk bi-products, hemp sprouts and animal feed will become more economically viable."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Hemp seeds. Photo / Supplied
Hemp seeds. Photo / Supplied

Hemp Connect had been working to modify its existing equipment, Johnson said.

"[We] have researched equipment from all over the world to find ways of getting the most out of every hemp seed."

With the help of others, Hemp Connect applied its "Number 8 Wire thinking" to an industry that had been around for centuries - but without the New Zealand touch, Johnson said.

"We have loved working with so many people, including our new staff, engineers, electricians and pneumatic specialists."

Discover more

New Zealand

Independent review finds NZ on track to eradicate M. bovis

11 Nov 03:00 AM

New app to help manage costly invasive weed

08 Nov 03:00 AM

Campaign encourages young Kiwis to take 'OE' in rural NZ

31 Oct 11:00 PM

Support for growth of NZ medicinal cannabis industry

28 Oct 02:00 AM

MPI is contributing more than $245,000 to the project through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund.

Hemp Connect was "delighted" to partner with MPI to prove its concept at a larger scale, Johnson said.

"[We] look forward to working hard over the next two years to make this a reality."

The project worked well with the Ministry's Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential roadmap, MPI's director of investment programmes, Steve Penno said.

The roadmap included strengthening the environmental credentials of Kiwi food and fibre products, and driving further growth in the value of New Zealand products

"Hemp doesn't need chemicals and is drought tolerant, so it has environmental benefits.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"One of the most exciting aspects of this project will be enabling Hemp Connect to develop products that have never been produced domestically or internationally."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

NZ shearers take the UK by storm on tour

10 Jul 03:27 AM
The Country

Tasman farm 'looks more like a riverbed' after flooding

10 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country

The Country: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth sings the praises of young farmers

10 Jul 02:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

NZ shearers take the UK by storm on tour

NZ shearers take the UK by storm on tour

10 Jul 03:27 AM

Toa Henderson and Jack Fagan beat England by 4.3 points at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Tasman farm 'looks more like a riverbed' after flooding

Tasman farm 'looks more like a riverbed' after flooding

10 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth sings the praises of young farmers

The Country: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth sings the praises of young farmers

10 Jul 02:00 AM
Australian regulator clears Lactalis' proposed acquisition of Fonterra businesses

Australian regulator clears Lactalis' proposed acquisition of Fonterra businesses

10 Jul 12:48 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP