The USDA has announced its interim rule on production,testing and licensing of industrial hemp will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday. South Dakota Farmers Union Lobbyist Mitch Richter is pleased to see the Ag Department moving forward with details. He says even though the rule calls for hemp testing at DEA labs, he doesn’t think that will cover Governor Kristi Noem’s concerns.
He expects the interim legislative hemp committee to talk about the USDA rule as they formulate their legislation.
The USDA interim rule calls for states to submit their hemp plans to the feds. Richter says once South Dakota approves hemp production, legislators will put their plan together.
Richter says industrial hemp may not be as valuable of a crop as corn or soybeans, but it can still be an economic benefit for growers if approved. He says CBD oil isn’t the only hemp product, there’s also the fiber and seed.
