Italian Farmers Turn to Hemp for Higher Profits

Hemp has proven to be a much more profitable crop for Italian farmers compared to wheat, offering up to ten times higher returns. While cultivating wheat brings in about ?250 per hectare, hemp can yield as much as ?2,500 per hectare. This significant difference has caught the attention of Italian farmers, especially those facing a crisis due to poor harvests and low grain prices.

Sicilian Farmers Reap the Benefits of Hemp

Farmers on the island of Sicily are already harvesting their first hemp crops and are seeing clear advantages. “Hemp saved our business. This year, we earned ten times more than we did with wheat, which allowed us to hire four workers,” says Salvo Scuderi, president of the Colli Erei cooperative.

This year, members of the Colli Erei cooperative harvested 150 tons of non-psychoactive hemp seeds. The crop will be used to produce pasta, oil, and flour.

Monoculture Wheat Farming Poses Risks

Years of monoculture wheat farming have become a major problem for Italy, increasing soil erosion and threatening to render local lands infertile. Professor Dario Giambalvo from the University of Palermo’s Department of Agricultural Sciences notes that hemp offers a real opportunity for agricultural diversification and could help revive abandoned or less fertile lands.

Legal Status and Cultivation of Hemp in Italy

It has been legal to grow hemp in Italy since 2016. Currently, about 4,000 hectares are dedicated to this crop. The law allows farmers to cultivate plants containing up to 0.2% psychoactive compounds.