The USDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is requesting authorization from the White House to “conduct a new data collection effort to gather information related to hemp production.” That being said, let’s examine this news about hemp cultivation below.Table of Contents About the Data to be Collected What is the objective of this data collection? What they think of the rules stemming from this type of data collection About the Data to be Collected
Indeed, the first questions that arise following this information are:
- What types of data will be collected from these farmers?
- Approximately how many responses are expected?
- On the one hand, regarding the first question, it is important to specify that, at the time of writing, the type of data required by the USDA is not yet known. Furthermore, the same is true for the frequency of data collection from the target groups. “To determine the type of data to collect and the frequency of data collection, management attended a joint meeting with representatives from the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), the Agricultural Services Agency (FSA), the Risk Management Agency (RMA), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and the Office of the Secretary.”
On the other hand, information regarding the expected number of responses is already available. The USDA anticipates approximately 20,000 responses. Respondents will need an average of 15 minutes to submit their data.
- What is the purpose of this data collection?
Indeed, one might question the objective of this data collection by the USDA. Before answering this question, it’s important to note that the USDA will not be acting alone. In fact, it will be a partnership with the following organizations: the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the University of Kentucky. That said, the agency stated that it wants to learn more about “current production costs, production practices, and marketing practices” for hemp.
In this regard, it’s worth noting that this request for a new “hemp acreage and production survey” comes shortly after the USDA released its final rule on hemp, which was legalized by the federal government under the 2018 Farm Bill.
So, overall, the USDA’s data collection will likely inform regulatory approaches.
What they think about rules resulting from this type of data collectionIn fact, it goes without saying that this request is not the first of its kind made by the USDA. Indeed, as mentioned earlier, a rule had been published by this body. This rule would be the culmination of the analysis of the information in this framework. In this regard, it would be interesting to consider the stakeholders’ perspectives.
On the one hand, they assert that the publication of the final rule is a positive step forward that will provide companies with the necessary guidance. However, they also highlighted several policies they hope to revise as the market matures, such as the USDA’s hemp testing requirements. On the other hand, the Federal Small Business Administration’s Advocacy Office has also weighed in. In fact, in a blog post, it reportedly stated that it was “satisfied with some of the changes made to the rule, as they provide more certainty and are less burdensome for small farmers.” However, it added, “certain concerns were not addressed in the final rule.”
Our source: Marijuana Moment.
References
USDA Seeks Information From 20,000 Hemp Farmers On Production Practices
