USDA Introduces Cutting-Edge Hemp Management and Learning Platforms

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced significant enhancements to its hemp program technology and resources, with the launch of the Hemp eManagement Platform (HeMP) and the Hemp e-Learning Platform (HeLP). These online systems aim to streamline hemp information management and provide educational resources for the industry, respectively.

HeMP, operated by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Program (SCP), is a secure, online system designed to facilitate the management and submission of hemp information. This innovative platform eradicates the need for USDA producers, states, tribes, testing laboratories, and sampling agents to submit information via email, mail, or fax, offering a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative.

Upon the successful deployment of the HeMP, the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Specialty Crops hemp team, part of the Market Development Division, turned their attention to enhancing other aspects of domestic hemp production management. This led to the development and launch of HeLP.

HeLP is an online learning platform designed to assist industry members, sampling agents, USDA Farm Service Agency staff, and hemp-testing laboratories. It provides comprehensive information regarding regulations, best practices for acreage reporting, and testing hemp samples. To introduce stakeholders to the platform, the USDA has released a promotional welcome video. This video provides an overview of the learning platform, its topics, and objectives, and it offers a concise regulatory history of the hemp plant and its multitude of horticultural uses.

In addition to these platforms, the Market Development Division hemp team also unveiled a public search tool hosted on the AMS Hemp Website. This tool allows the public to search for USDA licensed hemp producers by geographic location. It offers details regarding a business’s license name, license number, status, and state or tribal jurisdiction. This initiative significantly improves public transparency and can provide vital information for banks, law enforcement agencies, hemp producers, and other interested parties.

It should be noted that to legally grow hemp, one must first obtain a license or authorization under a state hemp program, a tribal hemp program, or the USDA hemp program. The specific program under which a producer is licensed depends on the location of their hemp growing facility.

For any queries related to the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program, the USDA has provided a dedicated contact line at (888) 721 HEMP (4367) or via email at farmbill.hemp@usda.gov. The launch of these platforms and tools is a significant step in the USDA’s continued commitment to advancing the domestic hemp industry.