A large majority of farmers and processors of industrial hemp support the creation of a checkoff program to pay for research and promotion of the newly legalized commodity, said two trade groups on Tuesday. The National Industrial Hemp Council and Hemp Industries Association said they would form a task force of industry members to discuss how a checkoff program would be structured and operate.
Producer-funded research and promotion programs are common in the agriculture sector. The USDA oversees 21 checkoff programs for commodities ranging from cotton and beef to mangoes and Hass avocadoes. The USDA says it will consider proposals to create checkoffs only when there is substantial industry support and requires proponents to identify how a checkoff would address marketing issues.
In an month-long survey online that received 270 responses, nearly 8 of 10 farmers and processors supported the creation of a checkoff program and six of 10 said they were willing to pay an assessment to fund a research and promotion effort, said the two hemp groups.
“We believe that a checkoff program will help hemp not only develop markets for hemp products, but also fund much needed research and educate consumers on the usefulness and versatility of hemp,” said Patrick Atagi, chairman of the board of the National Hemp Industrial Council.