Die Hanfwirtschaft Südostspaniens

Abstract

The cultivation, dressing and manufacturing of hemp have been known in the „Vega Baja del Segura", in the „huerta de Tobarra", and in the „huertas de Caravaca y Cehegin" for many centuries. As long ago as the time of the Moorish occupation this fibre plant was cultivated, and „alpargatas" made from its fibre, e. g. at Elche. <br /> The manual work required by hemp cultivation, above all mowing and steeping (but not hemp-braldng to the same extent) is carried out in an old-fashioned way. The difficult work of mowing and steeping is done exclusively by band. Only braking the twigs is becoming more mechanized in the „Vega Baja del Segura". <br /> Up to 1962 hemp cultivation guaranteed good profits to the „huertas" and the necessary labour provided well paid jobs for thousands of farm workers living in the villages of the „huertas" and the neighbouring „campo secano". At the same time a great many hatchellers, Spinners, netters and „alpargateros" earned their living by dressing and manufacturing the hemp fibre. <br /> Düring the past 100-150 years the cultivation and processing of hemp has passed through many difficulties caused by the development of technology and the growth of international commerce. The replacement of sailing vessels by steam ships and the Import of jute and Italian hemp created serious problems. Now it seems that a more serious threat to natural fibres has come into existence: the growing consumption of artificial fibres - especially by the fishing net industry - deprived hemp of its last essential consumer. <br /> For this reason, many out-of-date spinning mills have had to dose down and hudreds of workers have become unemployed. The „huerta" lost a lucrative crop, which creates serious problems for these areas, suffering as they do from a high degree of parcellisation. Thousands of farm labourers skilled in harvesting, steeping and braking hemp have had to look for other jobs. <br /> Complicated problems confront the „huertas" and the hemp industry, farm labourers and industrial workers as well as the farmers and industrialists. Some problems have been solved, others remain to be solved in the future. National and international tourism has given a strong Impulse to the building and hotel industries. Many workers found new jobs in these branches of industry, others emigrated, some remained unemployed. The „huertas" are looking for other profitable crops. In some districts of the „Vega Baja del Segura" the acreage of artidiokes has been enlarged; in other areas with favourable soil conditions, orchards have been extended. The change to other crops may bring a solution to the problems of farmers, but not, however, to the farm labourers. For them hemp cultivation was unique, as it gave them employment even during winter, in a season when other agricultural work comes to a halt. <br /> The industry, for its part, is also passing through a period of rapid development. Most of the out-of-date spinning mills are being replaced by modern ones and the fishing net industry is installing machinery to accomodate itself to the growing demand for synthetic nets.