Marketing remains one of the top challenges facing Alabama hemp producers. It’s also a topic that Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, hopes to address during a series of informative webinars this spring.
“A lot of questions are revolving around, ‘What does the market look like?’ ‘How do I market and sell my hemp?’ ‘What variety should I be growing?’” Kesheimer said.
“I think a lot of it is around the market stability and consumption of the product. Are people still holding on to it? Should they sell it to be turned into crude oil? How do you find a buyer? Should you go into a vertical integration where you’re processing and doing everything on your own. Should I even get into this business because of the market? The biggest questions are around, what does it look like and can I actually make money off this crop?”
Kesheimer said she is working to schedule multiple webinar sessions designed to educate potential producers about hemp. It will include speakers from across the Southeast, including economists, agronomists, plant pathologists and entomologists.
Further details of the meetings are still being finalized.