Quarles: Kentucky Gross Sales Of Hemp Exploded In 2018

State Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles announced Monday that gross sales of hemp products more than tripled last year in Kentucky when compared to 2017 and the amount farmers were paid for their harvests more than doubled.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture reports over $57.7 million in gross product sales last year, compared to $16.7 million in 2017. Processors paid Kentucky farmers $17.75 million for harvested hemp materials in 2018, up from $7.5 million the previous year. Hemp processors reportedly spent $23.4 million in capital improvements and employed a total of 459 people in 2018.

Quarles says it’s important to keep in mind that all of this economic activity took place before the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp production.

Quarles also released updated numbers on hemp acreage and announced 50,000 acres have been approved for growing season this year, more than triple the number of acres approved in 2018. The number of hemp grower applicants for 2019 is set to be 1,047, nearly five times the number of growers last year. In 2018, 210 growers were licensed to plant up to 16,100 acres of industrial hemp and planted more than 6,700 acres.

In addition to the more than 50,000 acres approved for outdoor farming this year, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture approved more than 6 million square feet of greenhouse space for hemp cultivation. The department has approved 110 hemp processor/handler license applications for 2019 so far and is expecting more applications.

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