South Dakota led the country in the amount of hemp harvested last year, and the number of acres used to farm the newly legal crop continues to grow.
The South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association is reporting a 42 percent increase in acres of hemp planted in 2023, the third growing season since the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) began regulating industrial cultivation of the plant.
Though harvest numbers from this year aren’t yet available, SDIHA Vice President Derrick Dohmann anticipates the state will remain atop the list of the country’s highest hemp producers when final numbers are in come spring.
