Beef prices may have been a factor in hemp hectares peaking in 2019

Teagasc's more recent relevant research on the potential use of hemp relates to the food and feed characteristics of the crop

In 2019, there was a jump to 314 hectares of hemp sown in Ireland from 67 in 2018, compared to 17 hectares in 2015. There was a drop to 164 hectares in 2020.

Low beef prices and an increased interest in crop diversification may have been a factor in a peak in the number of hectares of hemp grown in Ireland in 2019, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) believes.

In 2019, there was a jump to 314 hectares of hemp sown in Ireland from 67 in 2018, compared to 17 hectares in 2015.