Category Archives: Hemp

2022 SCDA Hemp Farming Applications Now Available

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The application period for the 2022 hemp growing season is now open and will run through February 28, 2022. Applications must be completed online here. Processor and Handler permit applications are also available on the SCDA Hemp Farming Program website.

This year, the SCDA announced the 2022 fees for a grower permit will be reduced from $1000 to $500. The application fee is $100. A list of all other fees can be found here.

In their recent news release, the SCDA also announced their new residue lab is nearing completion and will offer THC analysis starting the summer of 2022. “Hemp farming permit holders must have their hemp tested before harvest to ensure it does not exceed THC levels set by law, so the opening of an affordable, nationally certified state-run lab will help farmers cut costs and improve operations. The SCDA Seed Laboratory is also now equipped for hemp seed germination and purity analysis.”

For more information, please see the full SCDA news release.

SCDA Now Accepting Hemp Growing Permits for 2021 Season

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From the SCDA press release from 12/30/20:

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) will accept applications for hemp farming permits for the 2021 growing season from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28, 2021. The state’s Hemp Farming Program has grown from 20 farmers in 2018 to 265 farmers in 2020 – and each year, the program has changed as state and federal laws changed. When the federal government approved South Carolina’s State Hemp Plan in April 2020, the program entered a new period of regulatory stability, one that SCDA expects to continue in 2021. The agency now has six full-time staffers devoted to hemp regulation.

Requirements to receive a hemp farming permit include:

  • Proof of South Carolina residency
  • Criminal background check (A new check is required each permit year.)
  • FSA (Farm Service Agency) farm number
  • $100 nonrefundable application fee and $1,000 permit fee
  • GPS coordinates of all locations on which hemp will be grown
  • Submitting application and all required materials by the February 28, 2021 deadline
  • Attending an SCDA orientation and signing a Hemp Farming Agreement before possessing any hemp, including clones and seeds


All farmers must apply through SCDA’s online portal at agriculture.sc.gov/hemp. There are no paper or printable applications. Because it may take several weeks for farmers to obtain FSA farm numbers and background checks, applicants should review requirements and begin the process as soon as possible.

Permits are only good for the current year, so 2020 permit holders who wish to farm in 2021 must apply for a new permit. SCDA will not award a 2020 farmer a 2021 permit unless he or she has reported his or her 2020 hemp acreage to the FSA by the 2021 application deadline.

For information about the South Carolina Hemp Farming Program, visit agriculture.sc.gov/hemp or email hempstaff@scda.sc.gov. For important dates and application information, see the SCDA Hemp Newsletter attached below.

hempfarmingnewsletter-12.29.20Download

SCDA is tasked with regulating hemp farming. At present, our agency cannot provide training, information or grants for growing or processing hemp. Those with questions about hemp farming practices should contact their Clemson Cooperative Extension agent.

Some Pesticides Now Approved for Hemp Production in SC

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Yesterday (6/27/19) Clemson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released a list of pesticides they are now allowing for use in hemp production.  A PDF including a letter from DPR and the list of approved products can be accessed here: Approved Hemp Pesticides.  Please read the letter from DPR before using any chemicals on the list.  Additionally, it is recommended that growers speak with their processors to ensure using these chemicals will not result in any unacceptable residues.

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Growers will now have some chemical options for treating insect and disease pests in hemp crops.

Previously, growers were only allowed 25(b) products, which the EPA deems “minimum risk products”. These are products that do not have EPA registration numbers (mostly plant extract oils).