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Hemp farmers struggling in Arkansas

In 2019, the first year after the U.S. Farm Bill Act of 2018 legalized hemp farming, the state issued 125 licenses to prospective hemp farmers.

Credit: Arkansas Business

Jody Hardin, who farms 11 acres of hemp in west Fayetteville, said the early market for the product was a “glut. Everybody got in.” (Michael Woods)

ARKANSAS, USA — Hemp farming still hasn’t taken root in Arkansas, six years after its cultivation was made legal under federal law.

In 2019, the first year after the U.S. Farm Bill Act of 2018 legalized hemp farming, the state issued 125 licenses to prospective hemp farmers; earlier this month, the number of licensed hemp farmers in the state stood at 13.

The number of licensed processors who turn hemp flowers into cannabidiol (CBD) oil or hemp stalks and seeds into industrial-use fiber and feed dropped from 35 in 2019 to four this year.

To read more about this story, our content partner, Arkansas Business, has the full story here.

Credit: Arkansas Business

Jody Hardin, who farms 11 acres of hemp in west Fayetteville, said the early market for the product was a “glut. Everybody got in.” (Michael Woods)

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