Murray, Tenn.–Murray State University Hutson School of Agriculture Dean Dr. Tony Brannon recently testified before a committee of the United States Environmental Protection Agency on development opportunities and needs for the regional hemp industry.
Speaking to members of the EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee, Brannon outlined hemp production processes, including pesticides (currently, there are no pesticides registered by the EPA specifically for use on hemp, though some pesticide labels list help among other crops). He also delved into the agricultural, academic, economic and rural development impact hemp has had within Murray State’s 18-county service region.
Murray State has been at the forefront of fostering this fledgling industry; the Hutson School of Agriculture recently announced its Center for Agricultural Hemp, a project that pushes forward hemp research, education, policy and education in coordination with industry partners.
“Certainly, the opportunity to speak to a committee of this magnitude is because of our leadership position with the creation of the Murray State University Center for Agricultural Hemp,” Brannon said. “Along with our foundational partner GenCanna, I spoke on the agricultural, academic, economic and rural development impact of this new crop opportunity within our service region. I was able to compare agricultural hemp to the state of soybean and dark tobacco production in the 1960s, when they were produced without chemicals and only with mechanical control methods.”