CDA Announces Three Varieties of Hemp Certified Seed Now Available

The Colorado Department of Agriculture announced three industrial hemp seed varieties have passed the statewide THC validation and observation trial and are now eligible to be grown by the Colorado Seed Growers Association for production of "CDA Approved Certified Seed."

CDA's Division of Plant Industry Assistant Director Duane Sinning explains what this means to this relatively new industry

Sinning: "What certified seed does is helps move hemp into mainstream agriculture. Farmer in every other crop knows that when he buys something what he is getting. What is in the bag is what it says it is going to be. They know what the genetics behind it, they know that it is hasn't been cross pollinated, they know it is not full of weeds or diseases — they know it is true to type. What is on the label is what they are getting. What this does is assures them of that and that the mature plants that come from those seeds are below .3 percent. So it is really is two-fold: it gives them some crop insurance that the crop will perform as it suppose to below that .3 limit. But also that it is what it says on the label. Just like you would in any crop. Up to this point all the seed in Colorado up to this point — and I don't mean this to sound derogratory — but it was buyer beware. Grower doesn't know who has produced it, how much isolation there is. So this moves hemp to that standard you see in other crops.

Seed varieties were grown and tested in five locations which varied in daytime and nighttime temperatures, in altitude, length of growing season, and soil types to ensure that the certified seed could be used across the state.