Australia completes first hemp seed export to New Zealand

Australia has exported its first shipment of hemp seeds to New Zealand.

The export was made possible because the Australian government recently passed legislation to ease regulations on trade, Business News Australia reported Friday, but did not say how much was exported or when.

Australian Minister of Agriculture David Littleproud said the federal government will support exporters to ensure they thrive.

“To help us achieve this, we need to ensure that we have appropriate regulatory settings to enable exports to grow and in turn to help drive productivity and increase returns at the farm gate,” he said.

The Australian government legalized low-THC hemp seed foods in November 2017. With the new legislation, producers will be able to export raw hemp and hemp food products.