The Northern Hemp Summit encourages current hemp producers and processors to attend its two-day event. Individuals thinking about growing the crop are also encouraged to attend.
“The goal of the Northern Hemp Summit is to really be an event who are actively engaged in the industry or interested in hemp to learn and to network,” David Ripplinger, NDSU Extension bioproducts and bioenergy economics specialist, said.
Ripplinger stated that there are many producers and farmers interested in adding the crop to their operation, but there is a need for education before making the final decision on whether hemp is right for them. A general hesitancy is also very common for those thinking about growing the crop.
“As a grower, you need to have a market for your crop. In some respects, we do have a bit of a chicken and an egg issue. Hemp has a number of uses: CBD, fiber and an oil seed,” he said.
“For growers, they need to understand that you have to make sure you have that market. This is not a commodity like corn or wheat where you can take it to the elevator.”
The USDA recently made a major move forward in terms of crop insurance for hemp producers. The response is from feedback from current hemp producers. According to a USDA press release, they will be adding flexibilities around how producers work with processors as well as improving consistency with the most recent USDA hemp regulation.
Ripplinger sees this as a huge win for current hemp producers and a great opportunity for future hemp producers to take advantage of.
“I think it is critical here, especially in the Northern Plains, it’s basically a given. Farmers are going to be really hesitant to grow a crop without that type of protection,” he said.
“It was actually really impressive at how quickly policies were created and available. In most cases I would assume that most growers would insure their crop.”
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