![]() ![]() But temperatures across the state this summer broke record highs and were often in the triple digits, compounding conditions that led to low crop yields. “But we did and it worked out.”įor hemp grown for CBD and for fiber, optimum daytime high temperature for production is 70 degrees to 80 degrees, Calvin Trostle, the statewide AgriLife hemp specialist said. “A lot of the guys I know couldn’t even believe that we got it plowed because they thought it was going to be too rock-hard to break up,” said Owens, who - unlike most - grows hemp outdoors for CBD. Owens waited to plant the crop until later in the season, and when he did, he learned that the crop needed a lot more water than previous years. But plowing in a dry field where the soil is rock-hard is difficult. ![]() This year, rainfall has been infrequent, with only 4.5 inches of rainfall as of late August.įarmers plow the land to ready it for sowing. In Dripping Springs in Hays County, Aaron Owens sees his farm get on average about 36 inches of rainfall each year. ![]() “Especially when this is the type of plant that’s grown more so in the summer months where it’s just ridiculously hot in our state.” ![]() “In that first growing season in 2020, a lot of our farmers, especially the ones growing outdoors, are the ones who noticed how much water it really took for these plants to really thrive,” said Ilissa Nolan, the executive director of Texas Hemp Coalition. Hemp can also be grown for cannabidiol or CBD, in which case it is grown in greenhouses and needs even larger amounts of water than industrial hemp. 26, 2022.ĭrought can stunt the growth of crops because less water and soil moisture are available - and hemp is no different.įarmers saw industrial hemp fail because the soil hardened in the dry heat. The Texas Tribune A center pivot waters the hemp crop at Bingham Family Vineyards in Meadow, about 30 miles southwest of Lubbock, on Aug. It’s had devastating impacts on Texas farmers who are reporting the worst crop losses in the country - yields are down 68%, according to a summer American Farm Bureau Federation survey. The state is seeing its driest year since 2011, with more than 76% of Texas facing drought conditions, according to the U.S. “We can grow dryland cotton on a year like this when you never have any success with the dryland hemp crop.” “To say this is a drought-tolerant crop is not accurate,” said Bingham, who grows industrial hemp along with grapes on his Meadow farm, southwest of Lubbock. And by all measures, hemp planted in Texas soil hasn’t been able to withstand the extreme conditions. This year’s drought was the first serious weather test for Texas’ emerging hemp industry. “They do not want to waste time, money, land or anything on hemp right now.”Īnd as hemp production struggles to take off, farmers are still straining to make profits, hitting rural communities that depend greatly on the agriculture industry. “The interest is not there with farmers,” said Kyle Bingham, the president of the Texas Hemp Growers Association. And with so much at stake, some farmers aren’t willing to risk investing in hemp. Farmers across Texas are having to cut their losses by abandoning failing crops to save valuable resources. Those who invested have yet to see returns and say hemp, like other crops, is struggling across the state during one of the driest years on record. “It is all about Texas farmers and ranchers and seeing them prosper.”īut since its legalization, farmers have lost interest in hemp, especially the kind grown for fiber and grain to make clothes, textiles and paper. “Allowing the Texas Department of Agriculture to create an industrial hemp program here in Texas will give Texas farmers an exciting new opportunity to thrive - and that’s something everyone should get behind,” Miller told The Texas Tribune then. It had the backing of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. It got by the Senate and the House with unanimous votes. Charles Perry called hemp “the hot crop” - a drought-resistant lifeline for farmers. When the Texas Legislature legalized hemp in 2019, state Sen. ![]()
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