(USDA) — Ask the Expert is a new series launching on farmers.gov. In this Ask the Expert, Andrew Kowalski answers a few questions about how farmers can use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) hemp pilot program to insure their hemp crop. Kowalski is a risk management specialist with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) based in …
State Hemp Plan Notice of Change for Florida
(FDACS) — On March 6, 2020, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) published a Notice of Change for Rule 5B-57.014, F.A.C. – State Hemp Plan (hemp cultivation rule). The Notice of Change includes updates and modifications to the proposed rule based on public comments and brings the proposed rule in alignment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture …
Message to Potential Alabama Hemp Growers: Know What You’re Getting Into
By Clint Thompson Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Katelyn Kesheimer has a message for all farmers interested in growing hemp this year: Know what you’re getting into. During this year’s hemp meetings, which continue in March throughout Alabama, Kesheimer and other specialists are discussing economics, insects, weeds and diseases that are associated with hemp production. “We’re very clear …
Hemp Production Has Risks
There are risks and significant costs in growing hemp, Tyler Mark warned about 50 attendees at the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference 2020. The event, hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Food and Resource Economics Department, took place Feb. 27 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Mark, a University of …
Hemp Diseases in Florida
By Nicholas Dufault Diseases will be a major concern for Florida’s hemp production systems as they can limit profitable production of the plants. There are more than 40 known hemp diseases listed on the American Phytopathological Society’s educational resources page. These diseases are caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria. Some southeastern states, such as Kentucky and North Carolina, that produce …
Hemp Industries Association of Florida Announces New Board
Leaders from across Florida join the HIAF board to help shape the future of hemp. (HIAF) — Hemp Industries Association of Florida (HIAF), a non-profit trade association dedicated to supporting the commercialization of hemp in Florida, announced industry leaders from across the state to the organization’s board. HIAF partners with key stakeholders in the business community to educate Floridians on what is expected …
Industrial Hemp Pilot Project Continues to Take Root
(UF/IFAS) — Since the Florida State legislature authorized Industrial Hemp Pilot Projects for land grant institutions in 2017, the goal at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has been to seek scientific answers that will help growers and investors decide whether to take a chance on hemp and how to do that well informed. At the …
What Growers Need to Know About New Hemp Insurance Program
By Clint Thompson The Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) Pilot Insurance Program will not protect producers of hemp if the THC level of their crop is higher than the accepted 0.3 percent range, according to Martin Barbre, administrator of the Risk Management Agency. “We want to make it clear, abundantly clear, hemp that contains THC above the compliance level laid out …
Details of Risk Management Programs for Hemp Producers Announced
(USDA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of two programs that protect hemp producers’ crops from natural disasters. A pilot hemp insurance program through Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) provides coverage against loss of yield because of insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain or cannabidiol (CBD) oil, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance …
Update on Georgia Hemp Production
By Clint Thompson Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference that hemp production in his state remains on hold, pending approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) developed a Georgia Hemp Plan (http://agr.georgia.gov/hemp/Georgia-Hemp-Plan.pdf) to regulate production in Georgia and has sent it to the USDA. “We’re …