SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has released final harvest numbers from the 2019 hemp growing season. IDOA issued 651 Hemp Growers licenses for the 2019 season. All but 137 of those licensees planted at least an acre during the inaugural season resulting in over 2.27 million pounds of total yield, with 73% of acres planted being harvested.
“We are encouraged by these yield numbers and optimistic for the 2020 growing season,” said Jerry Costello, IDOA Acting Director. “The Department has been diligently working to open markets for growers to sell their hemp. We recently developed a policy allowing licensed hemp growers to sell product to licensed cannabis cultivators for use in medical and adult-use cannabis products.”
Harvest numbers have been broken down into four distinct categories and a fifth to account for undefined variables in reporting. Farmers reported harvesting 1,482,489 pounds of Biomass, 595,128 pounds of flower, 65,489 pounds of seed and 15,107 pounds of stalk. Biomass and flower are typically used for their CBD oil, stalks for industrial uses, and seed will be planted this year or used for hemp seed oil. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is currently accepting applications for the 2020 Hemp growing season.
If you are interested in growing or processing hemp, please visit the website here.
| 3/31/2020 | |
| Units | Totals |
| Acres Planted | 7,141.03 |
| Acres Harvested | 5,233.20 |
| Percent Harvested | 73% |
| Yield- Stalk lbs | 15,107.00 |
| Yield-Biomass lbs | 1,482,428.96 |
| Yield-Flower lbs | 595,128.20 |
| Yield-Seed lbs | 65,489.30 |
| Yield- Unknown lbs | 69,290.00 |
| TOTAL YIELD ALL UNITS (lbs) | 2,227,443.45 |
| Total Reports Complete | 611 |
| Total Reports Awaiting Yield Clarification (Reported above as yield unknown) | 6 |
| # Licensee who planted Zero Acres | 137 |
| # Licensee who Planted Over 5 Acres | 119 |
