New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last week vetoed a bill that would have let the state’s animal feed makers utilize hemp seeds in the production of certain animal feed products, Marijuana Moment reports.
Under the bill, commercial makers of animal feed for pets, horses, or camelids would have been allowed to use hemp seed or hemp seed-derived products as ingredients for their products. Supporters of the bill had argued that the seed hulls and seed meal from hemp would be nutritious animal feed additives with high protein and fiber content, the report said.
Lawmakers approved the bill months ago but Gov. Hochul, who has historically supported the New York hemp industry, did not receive the proposal until late November. The governor wrote in her veto message last week that the decision to block the proposal was based on the lack of federal recognition of hemp seed as a viable animal feed ingredient.
“To that end, I am directing the Department of Agriculture and Markets to work with Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to research the impacts of the use of hemp seed or hemp seed products in animal feed. This study is to be completed in an expeditious manner to better inform the industry on the questions raised by the potential for expanded use of hemp products.” – Gov. Hochul, in her veto statement
The now-vetoed proposal had been backed by the National Hemp Association and similar legislation was already adopted in Montana and Pennsylvania.
In October, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a nearly $300,000 grant to Texas’ Prairie View A&M University to study the use of hemp as animal feed.
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