The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it will be making grant money available to support the “breeding, testing and development” of “superior performing” hemp varieties.
Under the agency’s Supplemental and Alternative Crops (SAC) competitive grant program, one task for hemp producers would be to help to build up USDA’s Hemp Germplasm Repository in New York.
Overall, the objective of the program is to “produce results to increase the cost effectiveness and competitiveness of [hemp] grown as components of production systems across the country.” In addition to industrial hemp grown for “value added products,” the funding is also available to operations growing canola for oil.
“The purpose of this integrated research and extension program is to adapt these multiple-purpose crops to diverse growing regions in the U.S.,” a notice states, “so that domestic canola oil and industrial hemp production can be significantly increased and be profitable nationwide.”
Read more at marijuanamoment.net
