LANSING — The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development received federal approval of the state’s Industrial Hemp Plan. This plan establishes regulatory requirements for cultivating industrial hemp and gives MDARD primary oversight of industrial hemp production in Michigan.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval means Michigan’s plan complies with the 2018 Farm Bill requirements and USDA’s Interim Final Rule.
In April 2019, MDARD established the state’s first Industrial Hemp Ag Pilot Program so farmers, processors, and state colleges and universities could grow, handle, process, and research industrial hemp. The pilot program continued into the 2020 growing season, with 631 growers and 517 processor-handlers registered and/or licensed to grow, process and market industrial hemp.
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