The hemp industry is focusing its attention on harvesting and processing the raw product now that some crops are approaching harvest.
Hemp Industries Association chairman Mac McIntosh says the first of a crop near Motueka has been harvested to trial the processing methods.
McIntosh says the next step is to find out whether it can be done economically and how easily the fibre and oil can be extracted.
He says the most important part of this first trial is getting seed from the plants to grow more next season.
About 20 hectares planted around the country are less than a month away from harvest.
Many of the crops are up to two and a half metres tall, confirming the crop will grow in this country, and defying the experience of Australia and Canada, who found growth in the first year was often stunted.
McIntosh says for those who have been involved in this year's crop and those who wish to join the trials, important decisions now need to be made without all the information they'd like to have.
He says hemp growers have another full growing season ahead of them before they have to make a full report on the trials to the primary production select committee in May next year.
