Phytosanitary programs help protect hemp farmers

Colorado’s industrial hemp plant and seed industry exports continue to grow exponentially, having expanded tenfold in the last year. As farmers begin spring planting, managing the quality of the seed and clones/transplants planned for export is paramount.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s phytosanitary, seed and nursery programs facilitate export of hemp seeds and clones/transplants across the U.S. and the world and offer important protections for farmers. These regulatory programs mandate truthful labeling and freedom from pests and diseases.  

Whenever hemp plants and seed leave the state of Colorado, it’s important to research each state or country’s pests and diseases of concern. If one of those listed pests or diseases occurs in Colorado, another country or state will issue a quarantine restricting the movement of plant material. To facilitate movement of plants, CDA inspects the material and issues a phytosanitary certificate stating freedom of specific quarantine pests to meet the restriction.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.