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Hemp could provide for a useful crop alternative 

An agronomy professor says diversifying crop rotations with hemp can increase a producer’s bottom line if there’s access to markets.

Ismael Dweikat with UNL tells Brownfield hemp can be more profitable than corn or soybeans, “At least 1.5 times more especially if you grow hemp as a dual crop, which means you’re growing hemp for grain and fiber. You’re going to harvest grain first and whatever is left, you’ll use it for fiber.”

He says it can be used to in the fuel supply, too, “That fiber, if you’re not using it for textile production, you can process it for biodiesel and bioethanol.”

But Dweikat, says marketing the crop can be a struggle, “We need to have a processing facility to process the seed.  We need farmers to build silos to harvest the seed to process it, store it or sell it.”

He says there needs to be additional manufacturing facilities, too.

Dweikat spoke with Brownfield’s Kellan Heavican at Wednesday’s University of Nebraska Extension field day.