USDA Risk Management Administrator Martin Barbre says the crop insurance coverage for hemp is not ready. He says RMA can’t work on the issue until the Agricultural Marketing Service develops regulations for producing hemp. Earlier South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said the state isn’t ready for industrial hemp. South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke says while they’re backing state legislation for industrial hemp, they’re not concerned about the crop insurance aspect yet.

He says they intend to model South Dakota’s Hemp bill after what was done in Montana and that Montana Farmers Union’s Legislative Director Chris Christians will be in South Dakota to talk to Governor Noem and state lawmakers about how their hemp measure works.

Sombke says it makes sense to follow Montana’s model for industrial hemp rather than starting from scratch.

Other states are considering industrial hemp legislation including Nebraska.