Award Awarded to French Hemp Geotextiles
The product is of interest to individuals, farmers, gardeners, winegrowers, carrying out various public works.
Geochanvre, whose production facilities are installed at the former Lafarge factory located in Lezinnes (Lézinnes, Burgundy region - Franche-Comté), was awarded the award of the French Ministry of Agriculture. This award is a recognition of the merits of the company for its activity in the field of innovations introduced in agricultural production.
When presenting the award to Prefect Yonne (Department of the Burgundy Region - Franche-Comte), Patrice Latron (Patrice Latron) emphasized that “This award is a way to emphasize the fact that new ways can be developed in rural development, and Geochanvre’s business is such a symbol of moving forward. The award, awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, is designed to promote the development of local depressed sectors of the country's economy, turning it into a bioeconomy, and also familiarizing the general public with new alternatives offered to the market by French companies by the leaders of individual segments of production. ”
On the territory of the industrial site Frangey, once owned by Lafarge, since 2012, the production capacity of Geochanvre has been actively developing. After the international construction giant Lafarge stopped production facilities in the Lezinna area, Geochanvre company, which produces geotextiles in the form of large rolls or mulch fabrics made from hemp fibers, came to this industrial site. The originality of the production is to offer for the use of the market mesh, which do not need to be woven from synthetic materials. The patented technology does not use glue, as well as any plastic derivatives. According to the President of Geochanvre Frederick Roure (Frédéric Roure), the product produced at the plant is 100% natural and 100% biodegradable. With the help of products manufactured by Geochanvre, agricultural producers can protect the soil from erosion, provide the most effective opportunities to combat various types of weeds. The material produced on the basis of hemp raw material is able to replace various types of tarpaulin, which until recently were used for this kind of purposes in agriculture.
Commentary of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"
The possibilities of hemp geotextiles themselves are enormous. This product is of interest for individuals, farmers, gardeners, winegrowers, carrying out various public works. The company is positioning its products as one that helps farmers work in the “zero herbicide” paradigm. In recent years, this concept has been spreading more and more in the EU countries. Geochanvre currently employs 15 people, but production has recently been so computerized that they perform work that until recently about 40 people could do. At the production facilities of the enterprise, hundreds of meters of rolls made from hemp raw materials are currently being packed. For example, in 2018, the company produced about 85 thousand rolls and tens of thousands of slabs. The company plans to make significant investments in the expansion of this production. In the near future, the creation of an additional production line is envisaged, which will have to satisfy the growing demand for hemp geotextiles. The goals that the company management has set for itself are to achieve the production of 8 thousand square meters of hemp geotextile canvas per day.