New software program designed to streamline management of South Carolina’s hemp licensing program

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has administered South Carolina’s Hemp Farming Program since 2018, when the program began. Like many other states, South Carolina is updating its hemp program requirements to comply with Federal legislation impacting hemp production.

Kelly Registration Systems (KRS), a leading provider of automation solutions to the agribusiness and pesticide industry, recently announced it has extended its existing contract with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) to build the software system that will manage and automate the state’s hemp licensing program. The system will manage permits for Hemp Farmers, Hemp Handlers and Hemp Processors.

There are currently 114 licensed hemp farmers in South Carolina, up from 20 the previous year, and more than 40 licensed hemp processors. As the Hemp Farming Program has grown, so has the department’s need for a streamlined management tool.

KRS’ custom online system will automate the licensing of South Carolina’s hemp farmers. Key elements of the system include: password protected accounts for state administrators and users, an online application and renewal process with online payment capabilities. There will be numerous reporting functions available for state program administrators.

The use of QR codes will allow online lookup of farmers, farms, and/or product information associated with license holders.

Additional regulatory and enforcement parties will benefit from features of the new system.

Lab staff may upload background results and notify state administrators via email, thus potentially shortening the communication and licensing cycle.

Map display functionality by county, including GPS functionality and color-coded locations may be accessed by law enforcement

According to SCDA, applications for the 2020 growing season will open on Feb. 1, 2020.

For more information about the SCDA Hemp Program, contact Derek Underwood, assistant commissioner, Consumer Protection Division, SCDA, at 803-737-9700 or [email protected], or visit https://agriculture.sc.gov/divisions/consumer-protection/hemp/. For more information about Kelly Registration Systems hemp software, contact Josey Cameron, project manager, Kelly Registration Systems at [email protected].

About Kelly Registration Systems

Kelly Registration Systems (KRS) improves agribusiness for state agencies with proven, hosted automation that helps them accomplish more, even in the face of contracting budgets. From product registrations, licensing, permitting and certification, inspections and enforcement, as well as custom software applications, all KRS programs are delivered by a hosted platform that requires no infrastructure investment while delivering greater accuracy, faster processing and immediate payment capture. For more information, visit www.kelly-products.com.