SA Riverland set to become the country's biggest outdoor cannabis crops

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australia has become one of the fastest growing markets in the world for medicinal cannabis since it was legalised in the country - with more than a million people currently using it.

Transcript

00:00 These workers are harvesting medicinal cannabis at one of the very few outdoor growing sites

00:10 in Australia.

00:12 Once harvested, the sun-grown crop is dried indoors before it's ready for processing.

00:20 This is Medtech Farmers' secure facility in South Australia's Riverland region, one of

00:26 the country's biggest cannabis farms.

00:34 Managing Director Brad Gallard says it's taken five years to get here and he's yet to make

00:40 a cent.

00:41 Even though the plant does grow fast, it's been a long journey to get to this point.

00:45 But exciting now, we're pulling down and we're going all down into the clean rooms and preparing

00:50 the product, ready to be packed to go out to pharmacies.

00:52 So we're certainly excited about this point in time.

00:56 These will be eight weeks in flower, high THC strain.

01:00 The third generation citrus grower is convinced his foray into medicinal cannabis will pay

01:06 off.

01:08 Less than six months ago, this facility was just a patch of soil after citrus trees were

01:15 cleared.

01:16 The plants that we're standing next to here, I think, went in about 21st of December.

01:20 They're a very aggressive growing plant.

01:21 They're fed right.

01:22 We are all organic here too.

01:24 We're feeding them a lot with organic pretty much every day.

01:26 You know, obviously the sunlight here, the heat, they, you know, you keep the water up.

01:30 They also love the heat, but as long as you keep the water up.

01:33 We still, we were chasing our tail a little bit.

01:35 We didn't have irrigation in here in November.

01:37 So it was game on since, since we got our license and approvals, you know, in September.

01:48 The region is better known for citrus and wine grapes, but with the wine industry in

01:54 crisis due to an oversupply, it's seen as vital that new industries like this develop

02:00 to provide new opportunities for the area to diversify.

02:08 Australia has one of the fastest growing medicinal cannabis markets in the world, but only about

02:13 50 licensed growers.

02:18 Research scientist and industry advocate, Emily Rigby, launched the Australian Cannabis

02:23 Cultivators Group last year to help producers grow the domestic supply.

02:28 I think there's a huge potential for us around Australia and because we're able to provide

02:36 jobs, I really think we do need to see the government get a little bit more behind the

02:40 Australian industry to help this emerging industry while we are learning and while we've

02:46 got competition from imports.

02:48 But I think Australia has got a really great position if it's done in a clever way with

02:53 efficient production methods.

02:55 [Music]

02:56 [Music]

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