The Rogersville Review says that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given nearly $5 million to Tennessee State University (TSU), the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, the University of Tennessee (UT), and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for hemp-related projects.
The project’s overarching goal is to expand the hemp industry in Tennessee’s economic sphere.
The goal of the project, which is called “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation, and Novel Market Opportunities,” is to increase the production of industrial hemp as a climate-smart commodity, figure out how growing it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and show producers in the state’s agricultural sector how important market development is.
Farmers in the nine most economically challenged counties in Tennessee and the thirty counties in danger of becoming economically distressed will be prioritized for identification and recruitment. This includes producers from minority groups, women, and veterans. A total of around $4,972,800 was allotted for this proposal.
“Tennessee can become the leading producer of hemp in the Southeast United States,” stated Frederick Cawthon, President of HAT. “We are committed to growing this industry in a responsible way, and we want all industries to look into how they can use this raw material that is good for the environment and grows back.”
This is one of only five hemp-related projects to get financing from the second round of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool, out of a total of 71 proposals considered.
The cohort intends to make extra efforts to find and enroll underserved producers, such as minorities, women, veterans, and farmers in the nine most economically challenged counties in the state, as well as those in the thirty counties at highest risk of becoming economically distressed.
