Regional Comparison and Strategy Recommendations of Industrial Hemp in China Based on a SWOT Analysis

Abstract

The hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) industry has great potential growth due to its multifaceted characteristics, however, challenged by the imbalance between the rapid agricultural production growth and the inadequate market. Against the manifesting functional overlapping and homogeneous competition among regions and nations, multi-regional synergistic development strategies of the hemp industry are critical for a sustainable agricultural-industrial system. To propose development strategies and R&D priorities of the hemp agricultural system for multi-regional synergistic development of the hemp industry. A nationwide survey and a SWOT analysis were carried out within five major production provinces in China, which is one of the largest producers of hemp, including Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Jilin. Legislation, distribution, yield and utilization status and their effect on the development of industrial hemp in China were discussed. The SWOT analysis suggested that the negative effects of weaknesses and threats are stronger than the positive effects of strengths and opportunities. The modern hemp industry is still in an early phase of development characterized by the emerging legislation, growing acreage, initial researches and a few applications that pertain to mainstream use in China. Therefore, strategy recommendations, including top-level design, participating in global competition, promoting innovation and enhancing public cooperation, were proposed. We provide strategies for enhancing the hemp agricultural-industrial system, thus enabling policy makers and researchers to master the priority of promoting economic corporation and agricultural science and technology innovation.

Diseases of Cannabis sativa Caused by Diverse Fusarium Species

“…In 2019, an estimated 76,730 tons of hempseed were harvested worldwide from 2.3 × 10 4 hectares, and the crop was valued at over $126 million (US), and an estimated 174 million tons of hemp tow and waste was produced on 6.9 × 10 4 ha (FAOSTAT, 2019). Leaders in acreage of C. sativa are the United States, China, and Canada, but strict government regulations are imposed on production in each of these countries (Mark et al, 2020;Pusiak et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2021). China produced an estimated 7.14 × 10 4 tons of hempseed on 1.26 × 10 4 ha in 2019 (FAOSTAT, 2019).…”

“…China produced an estimated 7.14 × 10 4 tons of hempseed on 1.26 × 10 4 ha in 2019 (FAOSTAT, 2019). Zhao et al (2021) reported that acreage in the FAO database was under-reported and that actual acreage was 6.54 × 10 4 ha in 2020. In the United States, sales in 2020 were $17.5 billion, a 46% increase from 2019 (Yakowicz, 2021).…”

“…Concentration of (-)-trans-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component associated with marijuana strains of C. sativa, is the legal distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana (or drug-type) plants (Adhikary et al, 2021). To be classified as industrial hemp, percent THC (dry weight) must be less than or equal to 0.2% in most European countries, 0.3% in Canada, China, and the United States, and 1% in Switzerland, Uruguay, Columbia, Mexico, and selected Australian states (Adhikary et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2021). In most countries, plants that exceed these THC limits are considered drug-type plants and are illegal.…”

Expression of Genes Involved in ABA and Auxin Metabolism and LEA Gene during Embryogenesis in Hemp

“…Understanding the mechanisms of this plant’s tolerance to drought stress is essential, as drought is one of the most fundamental problems to which Cannabis cultivation is exposed. For example, as one of the largest growers of hemp, China is facing increasing water scarcity, reflected in the reduction of production and quality of hemp materials [ 71 , 72 , 73 ].…”

Processing of polymer wood composite material from pine cone and the binder of phenol formaldehyde/PVAc/molasses and improvement of its properties

“…The biggest hemp ber manufacturer countries, according to 2018 data, are ranked as China, South Korea and the Netherlands. The mean world hemp ber production of 2018 was 60.000 tonnes [19].…”