U.S. firm South Bend Industrial Hemp (SBIH) says starting in March it will begin processing up to 2,000 acres of hemp this year at its new decortication facility located near Great Bend, Kansas.
If the company reaches that goal, it would more than double the 1,758 acres of hemp planted in the state two years ago – the first year hemp planting resumed in Kansas, and the latest year for which figures are available from the state.
Melissa Nelson-Baldwin, a co-founder of SBIH, said her company is already taking orders, primarily from resellers of animal bedding. But the company anticipates growing demand for hurd for hempcrete and fiber-based insulation for the construction industry. Bio-plastics for prosthetics, and paper are also promising markets, Nelson-Baldwin said.
Related: Generation Hemp Inc. Acquires Kentucky-based Processor
2021 will be the first year Kansas farmers will not have to operate under the state's industrial hemp pilot program, but, instead, can commercially grow and process their crops.
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