The US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) examined the hemp fiber market in a September 15, 2026 report. Production is growing, but hemp grown for fiber trails hemp grown for flowers in economic value. USDA assessment of the hemp fiber market
Production volume and production value are different
According to the report, US hemp production utilized for fiber rose from approximately 9,100 tonnes in 2022 to 29,500 tonnes in 2025. The area harvested for this purpose increased from less than 3,000 hectares in 2022 to about 8,900 hectares in 2025.
In 2025, the production value of hemp grown for fiber was $13.5 million, approximately 2% of the $646 million total value of outdoor industrial hemp production. Hemp grown for flowers accounted for $574 million, or about 89% of that value. These are agricultural production values, not sales revenue from processed products or farmers' net earnings. Production and value data in the USDA report
This comparison does not mean fiber production is unnecessary. It does show that more output alone does not mean more earnings. Both producers and investors interested in hemp should consider this distinction.
Obtaining every product from one plant is difficult
USDA notes that desired plant characteristics, planting density and harvest timing differ for fiber, seed and flower production. Dual-purpose production is possible, but agricultural constraints make wider adoption difficult. USDA explanation of production purposes
Hemp's many uses do not mean one field can supply raw material suitable for all of them. Deciding your intended product at the outset matters. Fiber suitable for textiles may differ from what insulation requires; buyers' quality requirements must also be considered.
KenevirHaber's assessment
In our view, this news also offers a lesson for Türkiye's hemp debate. When discussing increased planting, we should treat postharvest processing, storage, transport and sales with equal seriousness.
For producers, who will buy the crop and on what terms matters as much as field yield. If production does not meet buyers' needs, a large harvest may fail to generate expected income. Processing capacity and distance are part of the calculation too.
Supporting hemp's potential requires careful reading of production figures. Expanding acreage is progress; a sustainable industry needs that growth to translate into regular orders, suitable quality and income that rewards producers' work.
The cover is an illustrative image created with artificial intelligence.
