The volume of applications to grow and process hemp, and the number of acres permitted to farm it, has exceeded expectations.
Over 1,000 applications to grow and process hemp, and almost 20,000 acres have been permitted since the Illinois Department of Agriculture began accepting applications on May 1.
Illinois Director of Agriculture John Sullivan tells us the different types of products that can be made with hemp.
“You can make shirts out of, you can make clothing out of it, you can make door panels out of it. I have a little toy tractor that someone brought me that’s made out of hemp that’s a plastic type product. So, there’s a lot of uses on the fiber side of it.”
Over 200 applications, and between 1,500 and 2,000 acres, were permitted within the first 24 hours of the Department of Agriculture accepting applications.
