Hemp cultivation skyrocketed after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the plant’s sale and production nationwide. Demand for hemp-based CBD products may have tapered in the years since, but the versatile plant continues to be used in everything from textiles to popular delta-9 drinks. With that in mind, a new top hemp has emerged—and it’s likely not who you’d expect.
RELATED: Southern state leans into hemp THC with new bill
South Dakota was recently named the nation’s number-one producer of hemp. The state became one of the last in the country to officially legalize hemp a few years ago.. But since then, South Dakota farmers have gone all in on hemp, resulting in an agricultural boom.
“We’re the highest production and the highest in yield-per-acre, both of those,” Bill Brehmer of the South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association (SDIHA) told South Dakota News Watch. “We are going to try to hold that for next year. This will be our first year to dominate that category.”
The South Dakota Industrial Hemp Program began in 2021, resulting in over 3,000 acres of hemp production from roughly 40 farms across the state. South Dakota was number one in hemp grain and seed production within one year and now leads the country in hemp fiber. Farmers credit the area’s fertile soil and favorable climate for their success.
“The long daylight hours that we experience in the summer are beneficial to growing hemp,” Ken Meyer, board president of SDIHA, explained. “Our lower summer temperatures compared to Southern climate zones are a big help. And we have enough average rainfall but not too much, which can cause — especially in warmer climates — more issues with bugs or diseases.”
RELATED: Hemp experts reveal surprising rescheduling impact
South Dakota’s hemp is primarily used for animal bedding, food and oil, fabrics, hempcrete, paper, biofuel, and other industrial goods. According to Brehmer, the value of the state’s hemp crops last year was roughly $23 million.
As South Dakota’s hemp farmers flourish, whether cannabis will soon be part of the equation remains to be seen. Medical marijuana is legal in the state, but adult-use initiatives have so far failed (or been overturned). Voters have a third shot at approving reform this November, and a victory may mean even bigger business for South Dakota hemp farmers looking to make the transition to THC.
