Leading Italian hemp varieties post 2025 germination bounceback after years of doubts

Italy’s heritage industrial hemp varieties recorded germination rates in 2025 well above the EU’s minimum requirements, easing concerns over the cultivars meeting certified seed standards.

Official 2025 seed production data show that Carmagnola, CS (Carmagnola Selezionata), Eletta Campana, and Fibranova — all surpassed the minimum 75% germination rate required by European Union seed-marketing rules for industrial hemp.

The 2025 performance marks an overall bounceback after Carmagnola, Italy’s flagship hemp variety, was de-certified and removed from the European catalog of plant varieties in 2019.

Last year’s germination results are unprecedented for the Italian hemp supply chain, according to Canapa Industriale, which reported the developments.

Achilles’ heel

Italy’s historic hemp varieties have always been known to produce excellent yields and quality fiber, but were held back by uneven germination rates. Assocanapa — the long-established Italian industrial hemp association — says that narrative can now be set aside.

“For years, rumors have been circulating that Italy’s historic industrial hemp varieties, despite being king in terms of yield, quality, and performance, suffer from the Achilles’ heel of low germination,” Assocanapa said in a statement. “Today, we can say that this prejudice is a thing of the past.”

Commercial implications

Under EU rules, industrial hemp seed can only be sold across member states if it meets an official 75% germination standard. Strong germination results show not just legal compliance, but also indicate stable genetics and reflect careful breeding and production practices.

More reliable germination makes planting and yields more predictable, which affects contracts, financing, and export opportunities. For companies focused on fiber and foodseed markets, better-performing local seed could reduce the need to rely on imported varieties or proprietary breeding programs.

Of the Italian cultivars, Carmagnola and CS are mainly linked to fiber or dual-purpose use, while Eletta Campana and Fibranova are better known for grain yields while still producing usable fiber.

Monferrato supply chain

Assocanapa says the Monferrato hemp supply chain played a key role in improving seed performance. Local seed producers and agronomy experts have worked together on careful selection and controlled breeding over many years, building on decades of technical experience.

The Monferrato area — in Piedmont in northern Italy — has long been a center for industrial hemp farming and seed development, with strong local know-how in both fiber and planting seed production.

With reporting from Canapa Industriale.