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2018 Farm Bill changes help hemp producers

A Wisconsin Farm Bureau official says the farm bill package sent to President Trump opens the door for legal industrial hemp production without a state pilot program.

Rob Richard says, “It’s a really exciting time for people who want to diversify and do something different in farming if they’re not making money doing something else.”

Richard worked closely with his state ag officials and farmers for the 2018 pilot program and says language in the new farm bill lessens the paperwork and requirements for farmers.  “It’s going to make it easier and should lessen the regulatory burden.  There’s still going to be requirements to provide GPS coordinates and to do, I think, a background check but it won’t be as heavily regulated as it is right now.”

For the first time, hemp will be eligible for crop insurance, even though it’s not a traditional Title I commodity, and Richard says that should help when working with lenders.  “They’re not doing the SAAR report or anything like that where you have to report suspicious activity.  It takes that off the table.  It’s going to give them a lot more comfort in giving out those loans to farmers.”

He says there is a good market for products like CBD oil, hemp hearts, seed as a food ingredient, and fiber, but Richard urges growers to have a buyer lined up before planting any seed.