The Agriculture Secretary in Iowa, Mike Naig, has revealed that the Department of Agriculture is now accepting public comments on the Iowa hemp production rules. The department has received many questions about industrial hemp, he added.
He admitted that people are interested in additional opportunities as well as the chance to diversify their farming activities. From the time hemp was legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, the crop has been getting much attention.
According to Naig, industrial hemp planting, growing and harvesting would be regulated by the Department of Agriculture through the proposed administrative rules once they are finalized. He further said that the department has been working hard to make sure that the hemp program is ready to launch so that farmers in Iowa can participate in the 2020 planting season.
Public comments on the proposed rules will be open until 4:30 p.m. on January 22. It is illegal to grow, possess, purchase or sell hemp within Iowa until the USDA approves the Iowa hemp pilot program.
The state submitted its hemp program to the USDA for approval on December 11 last year and the agency has 60 days within which to review the plan and provide feedback. Once the hemp program is approved, the Department of Agriculture will publish it in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin.
Licensed growers would then be allowed to cultivate a maximum of 40 acres of hemp crop per person during the growing season. Growers who are interested in joining the burgeoning industry should therefore monitor the department’s websites for any updates.
However, the industrial hemp program in Iowa does not legalize human consumption of CBD because the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is yet to determine if it is safe for human use. The FDA has okayed hemp grain, hemp seed oil, and protein powder to be sold for human consumption.
Apart from hemp, Naig said that other crops also have an opportunity of being diversified in 2020, and this includes local and regional foods as well as food hubs and community-supported agriculture. He also noted that consumers have a real interest in the source of their meals, which shows that there is an opportunity there as well.
Naig further said that growing food for regional use is attractive, and this is seen from the dramatic increase of small farms that are cultivating farm produce to be sold in the local market. He also noted that to grow food locally, you do not need many acres to get started, make a living, and create a thriving business.
Analysts wonder what hemp companies like Dama Financial and MCTC Holdings Inc. (OTC: MCTC) think of the hemp rules submitted to the USDA by the Iowa Ag department and welcome the move to allow producers to comment about those proposed rules.
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