Farmer from Kauhajoki embraces hemp cultivation for fiber in Finland

Timo Myllymäki, a farmer from Kauhajoki in Southern Ostrobothnia, is cultivating hemp for fiber for the first time this year on nearly 30 hectares. The dark green and dense plants have already outgrown him, reaching heights of up to 2.5 meters, with stems thicker than half a centimeter. “Fiber hemp thrives in Finland’s bright summer, and it is not afraid of rain. The growth has remained upright,” Myllymäki notes.

Fiber hemp is increasingly being used as a raw material for insulation and textiles, and it can also serve as an alternative to plastic. Hemka Fiber, which is establishing its second processing facility in Kauhajoki, is targeting market share particularly in the clothing industry. “We aim for both export and domestic markets,” says Juhana Kauppi, who oversees the company’s cultivation agreements. Currently, Hemka Fiber has contract farmers producing hemp across 1,700 hectares in Southern, Central, and Northern Ostrobothnia.

As wheat prices dropped earlier this year, Myllymäki calculated the figures. With known contract prices and production costs for fiber hemp, he concluded that cultivating hemp on rented lands is more profitable than growing grains at similar yield levels. While hemp seeds are more expensive than grain, fertilization costs remain the same, and there is no need for herbicides due to the dense growth preventing weeds.

Despite higher harvesting costs for hemp, the income potential is also greater, with prices reaching 300 euros per ton compared to 180 euros for grains. Hemka Fiber’s new facility in Kauhajoki aims to launch operations by next spring, coinciding with local farmers’ first hemp harvest. Myllymäki expresses anticipation for this initial harvest, as the timing will influence future crop rotations on his farm. Meanwhile, Hemka Fiber is enhancing its Haukipudas factory to produce cleaner fibers.