Missouri is one of only seven states with an increase in acres planted to industrial hemp last year.

The state’s growers planted 1,900 acres to industrial hemp in the open, up 26%. Farmers harvested 1,400 of those acres, according to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service National Hemp Report released April 19. Missouri is among the top hemp-producing states in the country.

Nationally, total acres of industrial hemp planted in the open was 28,314 in 2022, down 48% from the previous year. Harvested acres nationally dropped by 45% to 18,251.

Here’s how the top 5 hemp producing states fared in 2022:

Money talks

The value of the industrial hemp crop also declined in 2022, down 70% to $212 million.

Values of all six classes saw a dramatic reduction, with the largest being 96% in seed hemp grown in the open. Last year, that value was at just $1.48 million.

The hemp product somewhat holding its own in the marketplace was fiber, which saw only a 32% drop in value.

Know your hemp

There are six classes of industrial hemp production:

Production of industrial hemp grown for grain is calculated by region, and seed hemp is determined by a combined national total. Here’s a looking at how Missouri performed in the other three categories from 2022 and 2021 data:

Floral hemp in open. 110 acres, down from 270 acres

Fiber hemp in the open. 1,300 acres, up from 800 acres.

Hemp under protection. 46,259 square feet, a little less than half of 2021 production.

Dive deeper into the details by reading the National Hemp Report or visit nass.usda.gov.