Official Argentinian delegation travels to Poland together with IHS to formalize the technology transfer of the Polish Hemp Program, and then contiuned to the Czech Republic.
Argentina is developing very solid bases to kick off the hemp industry, with a regulation nourished by all the European, American and Asian experiences, seeking to position itself as the leader of this industry in South America. In this sense, the company Industrial Hemp Solutions (IHS) organized an official visit with national and provincial authorities to the Polish Hemp Program (PHP), belonging to the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants, who began developing hemp varieties immediately after World War II.
IHS carried out genetic validation trials in the 2022-23 campaign in a total of 12 strategically selected locations in both Argentina and Uruguay, within which the varieties belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture of Poland had excellent adaptive and productive results. For this reason, with the support of Polish Ambassador Aleksandra Piatkowska, IHS convened national authorities belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and the province of Corrientes to visit the PHP facilities in order to understand the potential they can bring to the country to advance 80 years of genetic development. Not only have they developed varieties of hemp, but they also have proprietary technology for various industrial applications such as chemicals, construction, textiles, cosmetics, biofuels and food, where hemp can enter their value chains to reduce their environmental impacts and enhance their efficiencies.
“The technology transfer offered by Poland, the size of the Argentine industrial complex, the quality of its soils, the great variety of climates that the region offers, added to the disruptive profile of the Argentine farmer, can allow us to play in the major leagues” said Maximiliano Baranoff, IHS Director of Innovation and New Businesses. Additionally, he shares that in the 4,000 micro plots that they have tested throughout Argentina and Uruguay in the 2022-23 campaign, they have demonstrated the excellent adaptation of hemp to the territory and that the objective of the 2023-24 campaign is to scale the surface at an extensive level to demonstrate to the farmer that the technological package is already available in both countries and there is no barrier to entry for hemp.
Within the official framework of the objectives set forth herein, the essential articulation between the Argentine National Seed Institute (INASE), the Argentine National Agro-Food Health and Quality Service (SENASA) and the Polish Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service (PIORIN) has been carried out to agree on Argentine phytosanitary requirements and thus open a stable official bridge between the two countries. In this sense, Gabriel Giménez, Director of INASE and Director for Agriculture at the Regulatory Agency for the Hemp Industry and Medicinal Cannabis (ARICCAME), expresses his vision regarding industrial hemp: “We have to recover the genetic sovereignty of hemp, since which has significant agronomic power throughout the agro-industrial chain. It is essential that the state accompanies development and for the private sector being the motor of the national industry”. The delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture continued its visits to the Czech Republic, where they met with Hana Gabrielová, President of CzecHemp, the Czech national hemp cluster, in order to exchange experiences in the regulations of this new industry.
This context is generating interest in more and more sectors of the country to develop their regional economies and strengthen the resilience of their industries. Present within the official Argentine delegation was Eng. Claudio Anselmo, Minister of Production of the province of Corrientes, who in turn chairs the provincial company Caá Cannabis, focused on the development of the cannabis and hemp industry. “The province of Corrientes has as its objective, within its productive development and diversification program, to promote the cultivation of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp. Being able to get to know the PHP has been very enriching, an excellent opportunity to make contact and develop exchanges with one of the most important industrial hemp programs in the world. We thank IHS for inviting us to participate in this mission, which opens up the opportunity for collaboration between the province of Corrientes and the PHP”, says Anselmo.
Among the trials that are going to be carried out this year together with official organizations, hemp phytoremediation capacity of soils in various provinces will be evaluated, the validation of its “superfood” category, the positive impact on animal nutrition and the transformation of its stalks into biofuels. “We are glad to be part of the industrial hemp sector development in Argentina and Uruguay. We believe that our decades of experience and portfolio of IP’s will help our colleagues from South America in creating a stable, economical efficient market” said Witold Czeszak, Head of the Polish Hemp Program.
