Hemp Holds Ground on the Prairies as Demand for Seed-Based Foods Fuels Interest

Oct 01, 2026
By Farms.com

Canadian hemp production remains concentrated in the Prairie provinces, where growers supply a growing market for hemp hearts, protein, oil, and sustainable industrial products.

Looking for a niche crop for your crop rotation? The Canadian Prairies continue to be the centre of the country's hemp industry, producing the majority of the hemp seed used in food products sold across North America.

Industrial hemp has been legally grown in Canada since 1998 under a regulated licensing system. Unlike cannabis grown for recreational purposes, industrial hemp must contain less than 0.3 per cent THC in its flowering parts and is primarily cultivated for seed, fibre, and industrial applications.

According to Health Canada regulations, growers must plant approved cultivars and operate under federal licences.

Although hemp acreage has experienced significant swings over the past decade, the crop remains an important specialty option for Prairie producers. Industry reports indicate Canada planted approximately 37,800 acres of industrial hemp in 2025, recovering from lower acreage levels seen in previous years. Most of those acres were located in Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Recent industry data also shows that more than 80 per cent of hemp fields in Canada are devoted to grain production, reflecting the strength of the food market compared to fibre and CBD-focused production.

Where Is Hemp Grown?

The Prairie provinces dominate Canadian hemp production.

Industry estimates suggest Manitoba accounted for roughly 42 per cent of national hemp acreage in 2025, followed by Alberta at approximately 26 per cent and Saskatchewan at 19 per cent. Together, these three provinces represent the overwhelming majority of Canadian hemp production.

Earlier acreage statistics showed a similar concentration. In 2023, Canada seeded approximately 55,400 acres of industrial hemp, with Alberta contributing about 20,000 acres, Saskatchewan 16,100 acres, and Manitoba 13,400 acres.

Prairie conditions are particularly well suited for hemp because of long summer daylight hours, warm growing conditions, and relatively low disease pressure. The crop is also adaptable to a range of soil types when adequate drainage is available.

When Is Hemp Planted?

Timing is critical for hemp production.

Most Prairie growers seed hemp from mid-May through early June once soil temperatures have reached at least 6°C to 10°C. Early planting is often preferred because it can promote stronger vegetative growth and higher fibre yields.

For grain production, which accounts for most Canadian hemp acres, growers typically plant at moderate seeding rates and harvest when seed maturity is reached during September. Grain varieties generally require between 100 and 120 days to reach harvest. Fibre varieties mature more quickly and can often be harvested 70 to 90 days after planting.

One advantage of hemp is its rapid early-season growth. Once established, the crop forms a dense canopy that helps suppress weeds naturally, reducing competitive pressure in the field.

What Is Hemp Used For?

While many consumers associate hemp with nutritional products, the crop has a remarkably diverse range of uses.

The seed, often marketed as hemp hearts, is rich in protein, healthy fats, and essential amino acids. Hemp seed is processed into oils, protein powders, granola products, snack foods, nutritional supplements, and beverages. Industry analysts note that food and nutrition products remain the primary driver of Canadian hemp production.

Beyond food uses, hemp fibre from the stalk can be converted into:

Textiles and fabrics
Paper products
Biocomposites for automotive manufacturing
Construction materials such as hempcrete
Insulation products
Animal bedding

Hemp growers and crop specialists in Ontario (where production is much smaller), also note that hemp is used in cosmetics, personal care products, feed applications, and nutritional supplements.

As sustainability becomes increasingly important across multiple industries, hemp's environmental profile continues to attract attention because the crop produces large amounts of biomass and can contribute to diversified crop rotations.

Interesting Hemp Facts

Hemp has one of the longest agricultural histories of any cultivated crop and has been grown by humans for thousands of years.
Hemp grain crops typically mature within 100 to 120 days.
Canada currently permits only approved hemp cultivars that meet strict THC standards.
Health Canada's approved cultivar list now includes dozens of varieties adapted to Canadian conditions.
The Canadian hemp food industry is heavily export-oriented, with significant demand from the United States market.
Hemp plants can reach heights of 1.5 to 3 metres when grown for fibre production.

Looking Ahead

Hemp may never challenge canola or wheat for acreage on the Prairies, but it continues to offer producers a niche crop opportunity supported by growing consumer interest in plant-based nutrition and sustainable industrial materials.

Watch the video below posted by Manitoba Farmer Redi Dickie several years ago.

Photo Credit: Reid Dickie - from his video

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.