Illinois has published the preliminary draft of the hemp license rules. The link below is an article about it, and the actual rules are in the Illinois Register, available for free download after a couple clicks.
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories...nt-period-open
Right now they are saying $100 to apply and another $1000 when the license is granted. One license covers one continuous area or field, so one farmer with two separate pieces of land would pay the thousand bucks twice.
Seed is the biggest expense, especially for cbd hemp. Kentucky farmers grow about a thousand plants per acre. Feminized seed from a reputable company is anywhere from $2 to $5 per seed, and about a dollar from an amateur producer. Bulk non feminized seed sold directly from farmers is about $4,000 to $5,000 per pound, which is about 25K seeds, half of which will be culled as males. The seed must be greenhouse started. Some Colorado companies sell rooted cuttings for $10 to $20 apiece.
I am planning on gettimg a license for my family. We have an 8 acre patch of bottom ground that would be perfect. Net yield in a good year is now about $10k per acre. I think that number might as much as double by the end of 2019. Demand is far outpacing supply.