The trials also include a number of flax cultivars to provide data on relative yields and paper making quality of the two fibre crops. Both hemp and flax are being investigated as dual purpose seed and fibre crops. Flax seed is the source of linseed oil and hemp seed can be used as a food ingredient in the same way as sesame seed. The major obstacle to the sale of hemp seed as a food is that the species is currently listed on the National Food Code as a prohibited botanical for use as a foodstuff. Efforts are currently being made to have the legislation altered to exempt hemp seed in the same way as was done for poppy seed.
Poppy seed is now a very valuable by-product of the Tasmanian poppy industry.
While the growing of hemp as a dual purpose fibre and seed crop could improve profitability of the crop it does pose a number of problems. The first is that delaying harvest to seed maturity will inevitably lead to a reduction in fibre quality for paper pulp production. It will also reduce the quality of the fibre for textile use if later studies show this to be a profitable option. Secondly, delaying harvesting beyond the onset of flowering, which is the optimum harvest time when the crop is to be used for paper or textile production, greatly increases the risk of crop theft. Problems were experienced with the 1995 trials and security guards had to be employed to guard the maturing crops.