BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 1
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
The international group of companies Industrial Innovation Group (IIG), headquartered in the UAE, has launched a cannabis cultivation project in Khavast district of Syrdarya region in Uzbekistan, Trend reports referring to UzA.uz national news agency.
Some 3,800 hectares of land were allocated for the cultivation of technical cannabis, but in the future, the area will be increased to 25,000 hectares. The investor has already purchased equipment for growing, harvesting, and processing cannabis.
It was noted that the lands in the Khavast district have not been cultivated for 30 years and are contaminated with perennial weeds and strong salinization of about 50 percent of the area. Thus, cannabis is used to rehabilitate out-of-use land areas.
The cultivation of technical cannabis with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of less than 0.2 percent is permitted in Uzbekistan. The cannabis cultivar seeded in the Khavast district contains an even lower amount of THC, which is 0.00008 percent. This is 2,500 times less than what the law requires.
The domestic affiliated company RS Success Agro, which is part of the IIG group of companies, finances the project independently, without using budget funds. The investor plans to create his own varieties with low THC content, but with high stem and seed yields.
Earlier it was reported that companies from France, Turkey, and Malta are showing interest in the cultivation and processing of technical cannabis in Uzbekistan.
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