NINE RISKS OR UNCERTAINTIES THAT FACE THE HEMP INDUSTRY IDENTIFIED BY COBANK...
Since the 2018 Farm Bill in USA removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, the agriculture industry has been inundated with interest in and information about industrial hemp. Some of the information has indicated a large financial upside for the broadening industry. Producers responded, as hemp acreage in the U.S. tripled from 2017 to 2018. However, CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division warns that false, outdated, biased or even contradictory information can make it difficult to navigate in this industry. In its latest report, CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division provides a foundation for understanding some of the key nuances of this growing market and highlights key risks and opportunities. Nine risks or uncertainties that face the hemp industry are identified and assessed on a low to high risk scale for each of hemp’s three crops and markets: fiber, grain/seed and CBD production. “It is important when talking about the risks and opportunities of hemp to recognize that we are no...