Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023 - 47

Hemp status
The 2018 Farm Bill has supported the
production of hemp under the guidance
of the Department of Agriculture,
which has the oversight authority
on hemp plants by states and Indian
tribes. Hemp is any part of the plant
including seeds from the species
Cannabis sativa L. There are strict regulations
regarding delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) levels, production
and disposal activities. Cannabis with
a THC level of more than 0.3% is considered
a Schedule I controlled material,
which is regulated by the Drug
Enforcement Administration.
Agriculture-intensive states like
Texas and Colorado have authorized
the production and sales of hemp as
regulated by USDA. Texas House Bill
1325 authorized hemp planting and
began issuing licenses in March 2020.
With the new Texas legislative session
that began in January 2023, there
are calls to broaden the medicinal
application of hemp products as a
way of expanding the compassionate
use law. The passage of this bill may
encourage producers to plant more
acres with a focus on medicinal
applications. However, byproducts
such as fiber, seed coats and stalks
can find applications in textiles.
Hemp is attractive as an alternative
to conventional fibers because of
favorable agronomical practices,
biodegradability and physical
characteristics. In the High Plains
of Texas where about 3.7 million
acres of land are dedicated to upland
cotton, producers are looking for
opportunities to plant alternative crops
in a sustainable fashion with higher
yields. The need for climate-smart
agriculture has kindled interest in
crops like hemp.
" The market is slow to develop.
There is a need to develop fiber
processing capacity to grow the
industry, " says Shawn Wade, director
of policy analysis and research at
the Lubbock-based Plains Cotton
Growers (PCG). Likewise, Mark
Brown, field services director of PCG,
says, " Farmers value the opportunity
to diversify. However, High Plains
producers have not yet realized
income levels needed to make hemp
farming attractive. "
According to many producers, the
fiber segment is nascent and needs a
lot of support in terms of research and
development, policy initiatives and
marketing. While fashion textiles may
not be an immediate market, industrial
applications in automobiles, insulation
and upholstery products seem
promising. This market may be small
compared to the larger CBD extract
market, says Brown.
Major textile manufacturing
countries such as India are also
progressing with hemp planting and
manufacturing. The hilly northern
state of Himachal Pradesh has
legalized hemp agriculture with
low THC content for medicinal and
industrial applications. As it is in
Texas, the hemp sector is expected to
diversify the economy in Himachal
Pradesh, which is heavily dependent
on tourism.
Several agronomy-related factors
such as soil-specific varieties, soil
types, irrigation and pesticide needs
must be studied and standardized.
Hemp varieties suitable in Colorado
may not be suitable for clay soil in
South Texas. State extension agencies
must develop robust breeding
programs to develop varieties suitable
to a particular climate and soil. Texas
A&M AgriLife Research is breeding
varieties suited to Texas that are heat
and drought-tolerant and will meet the
regulative requirements. According to
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Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023

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