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Many natural fibers are used to produce fabric.
In the North of Thailand, "Kunchong"
or "hemp"
is widely well-known amongst hill tribes and
used as raw material to make their apparel. In marriage,
cloth made of kunchong
is also used as bride-price.
Not only in the high land, nowadays global demand
for kunchong is gradually augmenting. Why?
"Kunchong" or "hemp"
is an annual herbs that
belong to the family Cannabaceae, the same species
that produce marijauna. It scientific name is
"Cannabis Sativa". Many international researches
show that hemp grown for fiber production and other
industrial uses contain very low levels of cannabinoids
(THC-the psychaoctive chemical in marijauna). According
to international standard, quantity of THC in hemp
must be less than 0.3%
Besides fabric production, Thai hill tribes
have used hemp as herb for long time. In Tak province,
you can find hemp in all hill tribe families.
They plant it in the same area of corn and other
farming plants. Unlike many corps, hemp can be grown
in most land and climates. Even its easy to grow,
it grows well at the temperature of 14-27'C. In addition,
moderate water and fertilizer are also important factors
that the agriculturalists should not overlook.
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Hemp is ready for harvesting only 120 days
after it is planted. After drying hemp trunk in
the sun, it will be peeled. The peeling is used
to produce fabric. Traditionally, Mong will use
dresses made of hemp fiber as bride-price and
also tailor it for the dead.
Hemp fiber is a high quality fiber. It is good
stretch and high durable. From rope to fine fiber,
more than 5,000 types of fiber products can be produced
from hemp. Low quality fiber can be used to make more
than 25,000 products including composition of dynamite,
protective screen, etc. Due to the construction of fiber,
wearers will feel comfortable in summer and warm in winter.In addition, the fiber is stronger and softer than cotton
and absorbs humidity better than nylon.
Not only its trunk that is useful, also hemp seeds
which have the nutritious value.
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Protein in hemp seeds
is more nutritious and cheaper to produce than soybean
protein. Hemp seeds can be used to produce tofu, veggie
burgers, butter, cheese, ice cream, milk, and oil salad,
etc., too.
Moreover, the seeds can also be ground into
a nutritious flour that can be used to produce baked
goods such as pasta, cookies and breads. According to
the study of Arisona University, USA, hemp seeds contain
Iomega 3 which helps to lower the risk of heart
attack and cancer.
Besides diet, hemp seeds oil can be
used to produce non-toxic diesel fuel, paint,
varnish, detergent, ink and lubricating oil.
Because hemp seeds account for up to half the
weight of a mature hemp plant, hemp seed
is viable source for these products.
At present, in Thailand, hemp is still the plant
prohibited to cultivate except for research while in
many countries such as Canada, Hungary and China, hemp
become an important plant used in many industries due
to its various properties especially fiber properties.
So, do you know the answer yet why the global demand
of hemp is continuously augmenting in global market.
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Fashion Update 
Many natural fibers are used to produce fabric. In the North of Thailand, "Kunchong" or "hemp" is widely well-known amongst hill tribes and used as raw material to make their apparel. In marriage, cloth made of kunchong is also used as bride-price.
