Tuesday, July 11, 2006

HEMP IN INDIA
Hemp has been cultivated for centuries in India, and is believed to have originated in that part of the world. Its role as medicine is mentioned in the work of Suskota, dating to before the 8th century AD. In the 16th century Raja Rudradeva of Kumoan advises its use in avian medicine. A 2nd or 3rd century AD work is printed on hemp paper with Sanskrit characters. European discovery of hemp use in India led to its inclusion in Garcia da Orta's Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India in 1563.
The British were keen to investigate the flora of India, sending botanist Dr. William Roxburgh to the sub-continent to study fibre plants. In 1800 he wrote: "I have seen it in great abundance, in a wild state, in the Deyra Doon, and also in the Khadir land of the Saharunpore district, especially along the upper part of the Doab Canal, where it was chiefly valued for its leaves; being made into bhang and supjee, and the stems, when dried up, being burnt for firewood."
He goes on to recommend its cultivation in the low Khadir land, where it was already found wild. He notes that the inhabitants of Malabar were reported to use it in their fishing nets.
Robert Wissett of the East India Co. wrote a treatise on the cultivation of hemp and Sunn hemp in 1804, which became a seminal work. Other writers attest to hemp's use in the nineteenth century as a fibre plant, Major Heber Drury observing in 1895 that: "... in point of strength and durability as evidence by the samples produced, there is no doubt that good Himalayan hemp is superior to Russian hemp..." At the time, Russian hemp was the preferred hemp, used on all British and American ships.
Hemp as medicine was well known also in India, as valuable as it was for a number of ailments, which Dr. William O'Shaughnessy wrote up in 1838-1840 for the Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Bengal. In that century hemp was regarded by all classes of society, with Queen Victoria using it as prescribed by the Royal Physician.
Today hemp is not as common in India, jute is the dominant fibre crop and other medicines are produced in great quantity. However, jute is a rather limited crop, and as pressure to produce food, fibre and medicine from the land increases, hemp is being reviewed. Not surprising a recent quote on the North American Industrial Hemp Council website stating that: "The hemp industry is growing faster than the expectation while the jute industry is declining."
Interest in hemp is growing not just in India but world-wide, and India is looking at this crop, so much a part of its history, to take a part in its future. While there is sufficient demand to sell thousands of tonnes of hemp each year, there will have to be machinery in place to process hemp into the many products for which it is renowned. With this infrastucture in place, India can very well be one of the leading hemp cultivating and processing nations, giving to the country great economic value as well as reducing the use of pesticides.
(related posts on India can be found on this blog, including a talk with Vandana Shiva)

8 comments:

Rose said...

Hi!
I hope this post finds you well.
Nice blog, I am very interested in hemp as well. Do you know if there is a licence required to cultivte industrial hemp India? any info would help.

Unknown said...

I think not. There are other posts on this blog about India - it seems none is being grown, I did talk to Vandana Shiva about it a couple of times, and there is lots of interest, but so far I can find no place where it is grown there.

Unknown said...

You can contact me at coatings@hotmail.com if you wish...

Admin said...

is there a place in India to buy vaporizer for hemp or cannabis?

thanks!

parks of green fields said...

IM LOOKING FOR A HEMP FABRIC TEXTILE FACTORY IN INDIA THAT WILL SUPPLY OUR CO. FOR MANY YEARS TO COME WITH HOPES OF A MIN. CONTRACT OF 3-5 YEARS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS LINE FOR MANY YEARS AND OUR STRATEGY . ILL BE IN INDIA AFTER BEING EVERYWHERE ELSE. IM ALSO LOOKING FOR A MANUFACTURER IN INDIA. SO THAT EVERYTHING IS MADE AND COMES FROM INDIA . ILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PAY A FINDERS FEE AND POSSIBLY AN EMPLOYEE IN INDIA THAT CAN BE OUR EYES & EARS THERE WHEN WE ARE NOT.

PLEASE SKYPE ME ASAP
chris.parks18

Sincerely
Mr. P

parks of green fields said...

need hemp fabric factories in India to visit and speak with about a long term business relationship that will last for years and years. i could use all the advice, suggestions and contacts that anyone can think of or hear about.
I mean this very seriously that I am ready to start mass production and Im ready to sign,pay and produce. ASAP
Thank You for your time and I hope that you can offer anything & everything you think could help. no matter how much of a long shot it may seem to you. Id be more than happy to make it worth your effort.

WOH

Unknown said...

Sorry I did not see this right away. I spoke to Vandana Shiva when she used to visit London, but she had no interest, and since have found no hemp being grown for fibre in India - the Chinese basically have the monopoly. You might try Nepal, where it has continued to be a tradition.
Best if you contact me at cotingas@hotmail.com - and if you give me an email, I am hoping you see this on the blog and respond.

Kenyon

Unknown said...

P.S. I'm not on skype or I'd have done, so hope to hear from you via email