USDA Allocates $745,000 to Promote American Hemp Products in 'New Markets'

The program aims to diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products beyond traditional core consumers like Canada, Mexico, the European Union, and China. Instead, efforts will focus on expanding U.S. exports to new markets around the world, including South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, where the middle class is growing and the need for high-quality food and agricultural products is increasing.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated $745,000 to support efforts to promote the hemp industry internationally in emerging markets around the world.

National Hemp Council of America ( National Industrial Hemp Council of America , NIHC) announced it has received funding from USDA's Regional Agricultural Assistance Program, which aims to stimulate global agricultural exports.

“We express our gratitude to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for recognizing the important role industrial hemp plays in global export markets,” said NIHC President and CEO Patrick Atagi. “This funding is critical to advancing the industry through NIHC’s efforts to promote American hemp as a safe, high-quality, and sustainable commodity used in products ranging from clothing to building materials and fuel.”

The USDA said the program "aims to diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products beyond traditional major consumers" such as Canada, Mexico, the European Union and China.

“Instead, efforts will focus on expanding U.S. exports to new markets around the world, including South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, where the middle class is growing and the need for high-quality food and agricultural products is increasing ,” the department said. “Increasing market share in these diverse and dynamic markets will help U.S. exporters better weather global shocks and compete in an increasingly volatile global marketplace.”

Commentary from experts of the Association “Ukrainian Industrial Hemp”

USDA has already awarded $200,000 to NIHC in 2020 through another grant program. It should be noted that in recent years, the Department has separately appointed three executive members of hemp industry associations to various boards of its “Technical Advisory Committee on Agriculture,” which offers the government various types of advice on specific agricultural commodities and products.

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