Total harvested hemp in Illinois for 2020 fell by 2,800 acres as the industry faced challenges related to COVID-19.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture issued just over 800 hemp grower licenses for the 2021 season. Farmers reported planting more than 2,700 acres and harvesting nearly 2,400, down from around 5,200 in the inaugural 2019 season.
Workforce safety challenges, pandemic related impacts on the market and initial issues with processing all contributed to the decline.
