N.C. A&T to Host Meeting to Help Farmers with Industrial-Hemp Production

Greensboro, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2017) - Farmers and other growers interested in learning about industrial-hemp production and the state law that has established a research program for it, are encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 1-3 p.m., Feb. 27, at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, 2907 E. Gate City Blvd. in Greensboro, and is sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. To reserve a meeting space, email aymccall@ncat.edu or call 336-285-4701

The 2015 North Carolina General Assembly legalized industrial-hemp production and established a pilot program to help small farmers generate income through production of the new crop. The law was updated in 2016 to establish a research program using the faculty expertise at N.C. A&T and N.C. State University, the state’s two land-grant institutions with strong agricultural programs. 

Hemp production in the United States has become a profitable, value-added crop with a number of uses including grain, dietary supplements, textiles, animal bedding, car parts, biofuel, environmentally safe paper and packaging material, and construction. The goal of the N.C. Industrial Hemp Commission is to help North Carolina become a leader in hemp production and processing, to stimulate the economy and to provide viable opportunities for small-scale farmers.