Industrial Hemp Growers and the Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Although the federal government has delegated to each state agriculture department the responsibility to license industrial hemp growers and to monitor and regulate the production of hemp, it has reserved a role for itself through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Hemp growers are mandated by the USDA to obtain either a new Farm Number through the FSA recon (reconstitution) procedure or new Tract Number, also referred to as a “lot” identification number, which will consist of these steps:
Obtaining first a hemp grower’s license from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry [LDAF].
Filing a Form 578 Acreage Report with FSA, which must include the LDAF grower license number and identify each field, also referred to as a “lot,” where hemp is planted.
Identifying to FSA the intended use of the hemp crop, such as for Fiber, Flower, Grain, Seed, Processing:
It is anticipated that among other things this filing with FSA will be the foundation from which the USDA will also eventually make available hemp grower and crop insurance.
Louisiana’s Industrial Hemp Regulations complement and reinforce the mandated filing with FSA by requiring that the site identification number assigned by FSA be included in a Planting Report growers as well as seed producers must file within fifteen days of planting their hemp crop, a specific form for which LDAF has developed. Once planted, LDAF requires data such as GPS location of each hemp field and date and number of acres planted be reported to FSA.
Because there are only fifteen days within which to file the LDAF Planting Report, growers and seed producers should plan to visit the FSA office as soon as their LDAF hemp license is received.
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Disclaimer: This blog does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.