SCDA Receives More than 160 Industrial Hemp Applications
South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Hugh E. Weathers, Commissioner
Media Contact: Sally McKay; 803-734-2196; smckay@scda.sc.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 6, 2018
SCDA Receives More than 160 Industrial Hemp Applications
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) has received 162 applications for the 2019 Industrial Hemp program following a May 1 – June 29 application period.
SCDA will select up to 40 farmers to receive industrial hemp permits. Those farmers who receive permits will each be allowed to grow up to 40 acres of the crop. The 2018 pilot program allowed 20 farmers to grow up to 20 acres of industrial hemp.
“Expanding the Industrial Hemp Pilot Program will give us a greater opportunity to assess where and how this crop grows best in South Carolina,” said Hugh Weathers, SC Commissioner of Agriculture. “Ultimately, industrial hemp is about crop diversity, new business for our rural farmers and economic development in South Carolina.”
SCDA plans to name the 40 growers by mid-September.
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SCDA Receives More than 160 Industrial Hemp Applications Press Release