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Ag Commissioner promotes revenue growth at Hemp Summit

Ryan Quarles called Hemp, the "crop that connects the Commonwealth's past to the future."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Agriculture hosted the Hemp Summit in Louisville Dec. 4. 

The Summit centered around the potential of hemp as a revenue generator for the Commonwealth and how the future of the crop is taking shaping. 

Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles cited figures on the role the crop played in bringing in revenue. According to the Ag Commissioner, 26,000 acres of hemp were grown resulting in over $100 million and creating 1,000 new jobs in 2019.

"We're going to see more farmers grow this crop next year, but we're still trying to mature the market. We've got to keep things in perspective that corn, wheat, soybeans, cattle, horses are our main bread and butter here in Kentucky, but hemp could one day regain its prominence in the commonwealth," Quarles said.

The 2018 Farm Bill removed industrial hemp from the Federal Controlled Substances Act, giving farmers increased access to USDA programs and outlining requirements for state regulations.

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