NEW YORK (WWTI/NEWS10) – On Tuesday, New York State’s Hemp program plan was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue the grower licensing program. According to Commissioner Richard A. Ball, the approval will allow New York to continue to administer hemp grower licensing.
Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, all states interested in administering a state hemp program were required to submit a hemp program plan to the USDA. This program will start January 1, 2022, and the Department is now accepting applications.
“New York State has been a leader in the hemp industry since the launch of its pilot program, with producers registered to grow industrial hemp on 30,000 acres,” Commissioner Ball said in a press release. “Under this new plan, our growers will have stability and consistency in regulations moving forward, with continued guidance and support from the Department.”
New York first launched the Industrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program in 2015. Throughout its duration, the program had nearly 800 authorized growers and approximately 30,000 acres registered for growing industrial hemp.
All currently licensed growers participating in New York State’s program need to reapply under this new program to grow hemp in 2022. The current Industrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program expires at the end of 2021.
Additionally, all growers will be required to complete the FBI Identity History Summary Check, which must be submitted with the application for a grower license and have been performed no more than 60 days prior to submitting the application.
Check out the full New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Hemp Program Plan here: