The Australian hemp industry's attempt to obtain federal government funding through the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) grants program has been unsuccessful.
A decade-long plan designed to accelerate Australian hemp production has been shelved after the application was rejected in the most recent funding round.
The hemp CRC proposal brought together more than 50 industry partners across a coalition that included the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Deakin University, Southern Cross University, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, and Western Sydney University.
Headed by Professor Gavin Ash, executive director of USQ's Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment, the initiative sought to explore whether hemp could be developed into a profitable, sustainable, and globally competitive industry in Australia.
When the bid launched, Ash said a successful outcome could have generated around A$200 million for the hemp and medicinal cannabis sectors over the course of a decade.
The hemp proposal ultimately lost out to CRC applications focused on achieving zero net emissions from agriculture, which secured an $87 million grant, and tackling plastic waste, which received $40 million. USQ has since withdrawn from the effort.
Ash said: “It’s very highly competitive and this last round was probably the most competitive of any of the rounds. It doesn’t mean it’s not fundable, it just means that other priorities were higher at that time.”
Calling on others to carry the work forward, he added: “I think there’s absolutely a great opportunity [for hemp] in Queensland, but it’s a matter of having the people who are prepared to work on it.”
The CRC program provides funding for collaborations lasting up to 10 years, bringing together businesses, researchers, and community groups to develop and support emerging industries.