
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a report detailing the status of the legal hemp market in neighboring Canada.
The six-page document from Agricultural Attaché Evan Mangino shows that while Canada legalized hemp about 20 years ago—with the U.S. moving to allow the crop under agriculture legislation enacted just last year—producers in both countries are facing similar regulatory challenges.
Of the nearly 5,400 metric tons of hempseed Canada exported last year, more than 70 percent went to the U.S., a figure that will presumably significantly fall going forward with large-scale domestic hemp farms expected to come online across the country by next growing season.
Until recently, hemp farmers in the U.S. said they faced difficulties obtaining hemp seed from Canada, prompting USDA to clarify in April that such imports are permitted under the 2018 Farm Bill.
The report, which was published late last week, also notes that the bulk of hemp cultivated in Canada is used to produce nonviable hempseed, which is added to food products such as “hulled hemp seeds, hemp-based snack foods, hemp oils, hemp protein powders, hemp flour and hemp meal.”
However, because of current regulatory guidelines, hemp and its derivatives cannot currently be used to feed livestock or pets, and CBD cannot be included in health supplements.
“Hemp and hemp products are not currently approved as livestock feed or feed ingredients in Canada,” the attaché wrote. “In the future, each hemp product intended to be used as a livestock feed single ingredient (such as hemp meal, hemp oil, or hemp seeds) will require