Industrial hemp meeting planned on Tuesday

BROOMFIELD – The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) will be hosting a public meeting to provide information on the CDA Farm Product Dealer Program as it relates to the commercial use of industrial hemp in Colorado.

This meeting will provide beneficial information for industrial hemp producers, processors, and anyone interested in becoming a Farm Product Dealer or a Commodity Handler of industrial hemp. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 18, from 1-3 p.m., at Colorado Department of Agriculture, 305 Interlocken Parkway, Broomfield. For those unable to attend, a livestream will be broadcast on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/coloradoagriculture.

“Under the CDA Industrial Hemp Registration Program, the number of Colorado farmers registered to grow industrial hemp is growing at a rapid pace. As a result, the CDA has launched an effort to bring dealers of unprocessed industrial hemp into compliance with the CDA Farm Product and Commodity Handler Acts,” said CDA’s Inspection and Consumer Services Division Technical Section Chief, Hollis Glenn. “These programs provide important financial protection to Colorado producers who entrust their agricultural products and commodities to dealers with the expectation of future payment.”

CDA’s Farm Products Program protects agricultural producers by regulating businesses that purchase and store agriculture products. This is achieved through licensing and bonding buyers; auditing and inspecting licensed dealers for financial soundness; and investigating producer/consumer complaints. Since unprocessed industrial hemp and hemp seed each fall under the statutory definition of a farm product and a commodity respectively, CDA’s goal is to bring industrial hemp dealers and commodity handlers into compliance with these programs before the upcoming 2017 harvest season.

At this meeting, CDA staff will provide a basic overview of the Farm Product Dealer and Commodity Handler programs. The staff presentation will cover topics including:

Basic structure of the programs

Who is required to be a licensed Farm Product Dealer or Commodity Handler

Licensing and insurance requirements

How these programs can protect industrial hemp producers

Contact Mark Gallegos, CDA’s farm products program manager at [email protected] or (303) 867-9213.