Excluding hemp farmers from pandemic loan scheme is ‘incoherent’ and ‘destructive’
Industry representatives ‘not surprised’ by government’s ‘lack of holistic thinking’
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 ...