Not as Many Hemp Producers in Wisconsin this Year

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021 -- 9:00 AM

(Wisconsin Ag Connection) As Wisconsin begins its fourth year of allowing hemp to be produced as an agricultural crop, state records indicate that there has been a reduction in the number of those who are applying to grow it.

According to the Wisconsin Ag Connection, newly released figures from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture show that just 803 producers have applied for a license in 2021. That's compared to 1,537 during all of last year.

Of those who submitted paperwork, 134 are growers who are applying for the first time. The remaining applicants are renewing their certification from previous seasons.

Online records also show that fewer individuals or companies are applying to become hemp processors. As of the first week of June, 477 processor applications were submitted compared to 761 in 2020.

"There are a verity of things likely happening. First of all, it's a new crop and there's uncertainly that goes long with that," said State Agriculture Secretary Randy Romanski. "The other thing to consider is the development of a new market. Growers will need to find buyers. We're seeing this happen in other states, as well."

He adds that another major factor is the price of other commodities. Romanski says it's likely that farmers may have shifted their planting decisions toward corn and soybeans in 2021 because the price of those crops are higher than in recent years.

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