A new agency to promote industrial hemp in Canada has appointed its first permanent board and named an executive director.
The Canadian Industrial Hemp Promotion-Research Agency (CIHPRA), established late last year, was created to coordinate initiatives across Canada’s struggling hemp industry. The new body is operating as Hemp Canada Chanvre (HCC).
The federally recognized agency will be led by Executive Director Syeda Khurram, a seasoned leader in agriculture and nonprofit governance. Will Van Roessel, owner at Specialty Seeds Ltd., Alberta, will serve as board chairman, and Reuben Stone, the founder of Uniseeds Inc., Ontario, was named vice chairman.
Getting started
Khurram brings more than 20 years of senior executive experience, including past roles as chief operating officer at the Alberta Barley and Wheat Commission. Her focus will include implementation of the HCC’s inaugural business plan, development of its governance framework, and execution of the checkoff levy strategy.
Van Roessel has grown hemp for 14 years in Alberta, while Stone has been a hemp farmer in Ontario’s Ottawa Valley since 2009.
Formally established under the Farm Products Agencies Act in November 2024, HCC is the first national agency dedicated to industrial hemp promotion and research in Canada. It was created to provide a coordinated approach to advancing the sector through marketing, research funding and global engagement.
Other board members
In addition to Van Roessel and Stone, other directors named are:
- British Columbia: Peter Dushop – Forever Green Hemp Inc.
- Manitoba: Adam Gregory – Interlake Agri Ltd.
- Quebec: Dany Lefebvre – Chanv Inc.
- Atlantic Canada: Antonio Bramante – Décision de la Nature Inc.
- Saskatchewan: Rob Ardell
- Importers: Marc van Burck – HPS Food & Ingredients
- Supply chain: Ryan Meade – Manitoba Harvest
Seeking revival
The launch of HCC comes at a time of prolonged contraction in Canadian hemp. Acreage dropped to 11,861 hectares (29,309 acres) in 2023—down from a peak of more than 44,600 hectares in 2017. Organizers hope the agency can deliver a much-needed turnaround by uniting stakeholders under a national strategy and modernizing the sector’s public image.
Funded through a mandatory levy of 0.5% of industrial hemp sales revenue, HCC’s model mirrors checkoff systems used in Canada’s beef and pork industries. Processors will collect the fee to support market development, product research, and the creation of industry standards. Based on estimated market size, annual revenue could range between $875,000 and $1 million.
With the full board now seated and Khurram at the helm, HCC will move forward with developing bylaws, finalizing levy orders, and initiating programming to support sustainable growth and expand Canadian hemp’s global competitiveness.