Excluding hemp farmers from pandemic loan scheme is ‘incoherent’ and ‘destructive’

Industry representatives ‘not surprised’ by government’s ‘lack of holistic thinking’

Hemp can be legally grown in Ireland under a licence granted by the Department of Health and processed by the Health Products Regulatory Authority. Picture: Getty

Hemp industry representatives have criticised “incoherent” government policies for excluding hemp seed farmers from accessing a pandemic loan scheme.

The credit guarantee scheme, a €2 billion fund, was jointly launched by the departments of enterprise, finance and agriculture in September 2020. It was presented as a way for SMEs, including those in the farming and fishing sectors, to access low-cost loans as they responded to the impacts of Covid-19.

Hemp can be legally grown in ...