BY Jeffrey S Graybill
The 2019 growing season was Pennsylvania’s first significant foray into growing hemp in almost 100 years. The Department of Agriculture issued over 300 growing permits to operations across nearly all the counties of the commonwealth. The initial euphoria has settled as growers, processors and marketers are finding that this crop, while a unique product, adheres to the same supply and demand principles of any commodity. Growers who had contracts and who established relationships with buyers were generally satisfied with their crop. Other producers were not so fortunate, and many are still attempting to market their 2019 crop or settled for prices that were significantly lower than expected.
Given the realities of not just growing a crop, but of processing and marketing hemp products of all kinds, and in light of the federal prohibition banning CBD in any food products, growers need to do their homework and identify buyers and markets prior to planting.
The
PDA website has all of the information and applications you need to obtain a permit for 2020. It also has a wealth of information, including the changes from last year and the legal issues one must comply with, such as FBI background checks. On the PDA site you can also find CBD testing results from 2019 with a list of CBD varieties which are now banned or flagged due to high THC content.
You can also check out the
Penn State Hemp website for production information on the various types of industrial hemp. This website has planning and budgeting information as well as a list of resources. You can also view recorded webinars or sign-up for future programs and webinars. New webinars will start on March 23rd.
Below is a summary of the changes to the PA hemp growing and permitting program for 2020. For specific questions, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture:
- Processors of hemp must apply for a permit.
- Every property (growing or processing) will require a permit and a separate application.
- The cost of a permit is $150. Applications must be submitted by April 1st, 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PDA may extend this deadline).
- New restrictions for properties include:
- 1. Outdoor growers must plant and maintain a minimum of 1/4 acre and 300 plants.
- 2. Indoor growers must plant and maintain a minimum of 2,000 square feet and 200 plants.
- 3. Hemp may not be grown, cultivated, propagated, planted or processed in or within 200 feet of any structure used for residential purposes, without prior written approval from the Department.
- 4. Hemp may not be grown, planted, cultivated or propagated within 1,000 feet of a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school property or a public recreational area.
- For property not owned by the business or permit holder, a copy of a fully executed lease, signed by the property owner and the permit holder must be provided to the Department.
- For business applicants, key participants in the business are required to have FBI background checks.
Key Participants - persons who have a direct or indirect financial interest in the entity producing or processing hemp, such as an owner or partner in a partnership, or persons at executive levels in a corporate entity (I.e. chief executive officer, chief operating officer and chief financial officer).
- FBI Background checks must be completed within 60 days of the date of application submission.
- Hemp varieties to be planted this year must be listed on the application.
- Every variety, field, or lot (contiguous planting of one variety) planted must be tested for THC within 15 days of harvest by a certified sampler and paid for by the permittee. Varieties testing over 0.3% THC cannot be harvested and must be destroyed.
- Hemp permit information and crop acreage must be reported to USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) by the permittee.
- The Department has compiled a list of Prohibited Varieties and Varieties of Concern, which are varieties that have tested out of compliance or have led to crop destruction in previous years. Prohibited varieties may not be planted in 2020.
Source : psu.edu