The USDA recently sent out a revised hemp survey to farmers for its second annual report on hemp.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun sending out thousands of its "Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry" surveys to farmers across the country as part of its annual effort to understand the ever-evolving nature and development of the burgeoning hemp agricultural market.
According to reports, this is the second survey issued by the USDA in as many years. Its purpose is to gather and analyze information on the total planted and harvested area, yield, production and value of hemp in the United States in 2022.
Following its first survey launch in 2021, the agency submitted a report detailing the results. Based on that experience, the USDA revised this year's survey to "improve data quality and reduce respondent burden," according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Some of the questions in this year's analysis center around outdoor hemp production plans, operational acreage, farmers' primary and secondary uses for their crops and price expectations. The department is also interested in gathering more quantitative data about other areas, including smokeable hemp, extracts like CBD, grain for human consumption and fiber and seeds.
As Mark Schleusener, USDA NASS statistician for Illinois, shared with AgriNews, "The Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry will provide critical data about the hemp industry to assist producers, regulatory agencies, state governments, processors and other key industry entities."
"The Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry will provide critical data about the hemp industry to assist producers, regulatory agencies, state governments, processors and other key industry entities."
- Mark Schleusener, USDA NASS statistician for Illinois
The survey's issuance comes at a critical time for hemp producers and manufacturers of hemp-derived products like CBD oil and low-dose THC edible products. With Congress calling for hearings to investigate the FDA's handling of its regulatory responsibilities regarding CBD and the controversial delta-8 THC variant, the hemp industry is at an extremely pivotal point in its young and still unsteady development.
Surveys like the USDA's analysis should add information and valuable insight into how best to assist farmers, manufacturers and stakeholders in developing a stable, safe and productive hemp industry moving into the future.
A developer in Sweden is planning to build the world's largest building using hemp-based insulation.
Swedish real estate developer NREP plans to build a net-zero carbon logistics center, combining hemp fiber insulation panels and an advanced solar energy infrastructure. As first reported by HempToday, the 20,000-square-meter building will be located in Bålsta, just north of Stockholm, and will support distribution operations for some of Sweden's top logistics companies.
According to Steve Allin, Director of the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA), the structure will be the largest building in the world, utilizing hemp-derived insulation. The construction materials will consist of 8,000 cubic meters of hemp fiber insulation panels provided by Ekolution AB and will line the 15-meter-high walls and roof of the facility.
Remi Loren, CEO/Founder of Ekolution, shares, "It's a milestone for the whole hemp industry and in particular hemp building materials. The environmental impact is immediate, and this will be the first of many state-of-the-art logistics facilities."
"It's a milestone for the whole hemp industry and in particular hemp building materials. The environmental impact is immediate, and this will be the first of many state-of-the-art logistics facilities."
- Remi Loren, CEO/Founder of Ekolution
This project is a massive achievement for the successful use of hemp-based construction materials on a large industrial scale.
Echoing the potential revolutionary importance of this project, Allin adds, "This is a very important development for the hemp building industry requiring approximately 240 tons of hemp fiber or at least 70 hectares of industrial hemp. It's an example of the potential for producers of industrial hemp to provide hemp materials purely to the construction sector, focusing on hurd for hempcrete and fiber for insulation batts."
"This is a very important development for the hemp building industry requiring approximately 240 tons of hemp fiber or at least 70 hectares of industrial hemp. It's an example of the potential for producers of industrial hemp to provide hemp materials purely to the construction sector, focusing on hurd for hempcrete and fiber for insulation batts."
- Steve Allin, Dir. of the International Hemp Building Assoc. (IHBA)
Along with integrating a solar-based energy system, the logistics hub could serve as an ideal example of how effective hemp building materials can be for future eco-friendly construction initiatives in Europe, the United States and across the globe.
