Hemp Acres Almost Match High

The USDA Economic Research Service says industrial hemp acres reported to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) exploded last year reaching 146,065 acres.

Six years prior, in 2013, there were no acres reported to the FSA and just 32,464 acres reported in 2018. The largest hemp acreage on record was 146,200 acres planted in 1943 during World War II. By the end of last year, hemp could be grown legally in every state except Idaho, Mississippi, and South Dakota. The largest hemp acreage is found in states where conventional crops like corn, soybeans, or cotton are not prevalent.

Figure 4. Industrial Hemp Production by County Level, 2019