Italy’s hemp fiber species Carmagnola, Carmagnola Selezionata, and Fibranova are back in Italy’s National Plants Catalogue, a necessary move before hemp cultivars are re-certified at the European Union class.
Assocanapa srl said early this year that the cultivars were deleted from the European plant varieties’ catalog because of bureaucratic inattention. Assocanapa added that the strains were never prohibited for planting; however, their comeback to Italy’s plant catalog implies their legality has been restored and guaranteed.
CS and Carmagnola are sold by Schiavi Seeds, based in Lexington, Kentucky. The firm has multiplication licenses for the two cultivars from Italy’s Council for Agricultural Research and Economics. CREA oversees the certification and regulation of industrial hemp cultivars within Italy under the Agriculture Ministry.
Under the existing prohibitions, such as market postponement up to June this year, Assocanapa can retail its remaining stock of CS and Carmagnola for 2021’s growing season. However, European sources pointed out that seeds currently available in the market have poor germination rates.
Multiple agronomical tests preceded the notice regarding re-listings on the cultivars. Last week, that notice was published in the Italian Ministerial Official Journal. Assocanapa asserted that they’re waiting for the last phase of the administrative process, the varieties’ registration in the EU catalog. It pointed out that the EU’s catalog of licensed hemp strains is revised once after every half year. Recertification might be attained by autumn 2021.
The European Union’s catalog of vegetable and plant species identifies licensed agricultural crop varieties that can be advertised in the European Union. The cultivars’ custodians have to test them constantly for steady THC levels (which is below 0.2% according to European Parameters), rates of germination, and other traits.
Located in the Italian Piedmont region, Turin, Assocanapa produces Italian hemp seeds under the regulation of the Italian Council for Agricultural Research and Economics.
