LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Some on the leading edge of a booming Kentucky industry looked to get interest and help from the federal government today as the Secretary of Agriculture visited Kentucky.
Commonwealth Extracts has gone from four employees a year ago to 29 today, evidence that the industrial hemp boom is happening in Kentucky.
“I think what I heard was a lot of opportunity but a lot of challenges needing a federal framework to help guide the progress of this crop,” Secretary Sonny Perdue said.
But slowing that boom are issues from requirements that differ from state to state, like crop insurance and farming techniques.
Katie Moyer of Kentucky Hemp Works voiced her concerns to Secretary Perdue.
“We have some struggles with not being able to move leaf or floral material from place to place and it keeps me from being able to manufacture products I have waiting in the wings simply because I can't add them to my products,” Moyer said.
She was grateful to get the secretary's ear, but with farmers in 101 of 120 counties growing this year and 200 companies producing crops from industrial hemp, there's greater concern than ever that the fast track to success is being slowed by speed bumps springing from growth.
"We're anticipating about another 1.2 million pounds in October,” said John Taylor of Commonwealth Extracts. “We’re probably growing 400 percent per year. It'll be a four-fold increase on our productivity.”
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said getting the federal government on board is a work in progress.
“There’s about a half dozen big issues we need to tackle. Last year the biggest issue facing hemp was the federal prohibition of it being a scheduled narcotic. Now that that's behind us we have a lot of other issues we need to address and it's not easy,” Quarles said.
Producers here hope today's attention by Secretary Perdue is a solid first step towards finding the federal solutions to their Kentucky concerns.