Hemp Inc. reported that South Carolina’s Department of Agriculture (SCDA) is accepting hemp farming applications for the 2021 growing season through February 28, 2021. With federal government approval, the state’s Hemp Farming Program entered a “new period of regulatory stability” making hemp more attractive to farmers in the state. Hemp Inc. has relationships with farmers in South Carolina so the company is looking forward to expanding its reach there and seeing more business opportunities created.  Many states across the country are seeing an increase in hemp farming. With the vision of a thriving industrial hemp industry, Hemp Inc. has built a massive infrastructure over the past 12 years to support this robust industry.  One market analysis report stated the global industrial hemp market size was 5.33 billion for 2020 and expects it to reach 15.26 billion by year 2027. According to SCDA, 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. Application specifics include proof of South Carolina residency and passing of a criminal background check. Applicants are also required to submit GPS coordinates of exactly where they will grow the hemp.  There is also a $100 nonrefundable application fee and $1,000 permit fee. All farmers must apply through SCDA’s online portal at agriculture.sc.gov/hemp. Applications, along with all required materials, must be received by the deadline, February 28, 2021.