Hemp New Zealand and iconic brand NZ Yarn Ltd announce new business partnership and shareholding.
Hemp New Zealand Ltd have entered the new year feeling extremely pleased to announce a brand new business partnership with NZ Yarn Ltd. Owned by the Carr family, they are world leaders in the production of New Zealand wool yarns for the global fibre and soft flooring market. Hemp New Zealand have secured a 15% shareholding in the company.
Hemp New Zealand will be installing a full hemp fibre processing line within the NZ Yarn factory in Burnside, Christchurch. This new natural fibre processing line will separate hemp stalks into two important commodities; fibre for yarns, and hurd for animal bedding and construction. Once the fibre has been separated from the stalks, it will then be further processed and spun into yarn and non-woven on site.
Craig Carr, chairman of NZ Yarn, said Hemp New Zealand’s investment in NZ Yarn is an important strategic milestone for the company.
“Hemp New Zealand’s investment strengthens and diversifies the NZ Yarn business,” he said. “It also enables NZ Yarn to engage in significant additional product innovation, as well as broadening its product portfolio and customer base with a natural fibre that has huge unrealised potential. Hemp has many synergies with wool, as well as sustainable ethical provenance and environmental credentials. These qualities are of critical importance given the environmental catastrophe which synthetic fibres are contributing to.”
This exciting new partnership will enable opportunities for forward-thinking national and international businesses who are looking to utilize high quality natural fibres in their development and production of products. Environmentally conscious consumers will have access to hemp yarn, wool and hemp blends, plus non-woven wool and hemp products.
Director and Co-Founder Anne Jordan says “This is an exciting landmark moment for Hemp NZ, partnering with the Carr family and their iconic NZ Yarn brand. Dave and I have been growing hemp for ten years with the ultimate goal of processing and utilizing the precious natural fibre from the hemp plant. Hemp fibre is a fine natural fibre with unique qualities, such as being 90% more sun protective than cotton, antimicrobial, hard wearing, comfortable and requires no chemicals to grow it, which is a huge plus. Plus add to that the warmth and beauty of the finest NZ wool, it’s a match made in heaven. Hemp has been grown for food, fibre, medicine and fuel for thousands of years and it is finally undergoing a strong global resurgence. Hemp is resistant to pests, doesn’t require pesticides or fungicides to grow. It locks up carbons in the products made from it, environmentally, it truly is a star performer.
Hemp can provide a very good return for both farmers and processors, as well as a high quality end product for the consumer. Hemp New Zealand has been developing growing and harvesting methods over the last ten years and they have expanded their growing considerably this year to include five regions North and South Island. They are collaborating with, and developing their growers group. This new and exciting partnership will bring together and provide two very desirable commodities in what is expected to be the first of its kind in New Zealand. Taking hemp/wool blends to the world is a new and exciting area of growth for the natural fibre industry here in New Zealand.
To read more, click here to read the article on Carrfields website
