(The Center Square) – Agriculture and agri-business showcased gets no bigger in the Carolinas and Virginias than Wednesday’s opening of the Southern Farm Show on the State Fairgrounds in North Carolina.
Thursday’s schedule in Raleigh includes the 20th annual Agricultural Development Forum, inclusive of economic policy outlook and panel discussion on Hurricane Helene recovery. Preceding the forum is the swearing in for a sixth term of Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
Last May, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture said the industry inclusive of agri-business had grown by nearly $8 billion to an economic impact of $111.1 billion. That’s No. 1 of any industry in the state, as it has always been.
North Carolina is No. 1 nationally each in all tobacco, flu-cured tobacco, sweet potatoes, and poultry and eggs. It is No. 2 in Christmas tree sales, production of turkeys, and food-size trout sold. It is No. 3 in cucumbers and hogs, No. 4 in peanuts and broilers (chicken), and No. 5 in cotton.
Troxler said the state has experienced $18 billion in growth since coming out of the COVID-19 era in 2022 during what he described as “challenging times.”
He’ll give his “state of” address during the forum on Thursday. A year ago, he spoke of challenges such as access to natural resources, outdated infrastructure, and urban sprawl.
Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman, from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at N.C. State University, will provide an economic outlook on Thursday morning. The 2024 Ag Disaster Farmer Roundtable includes Kirby Johnson of Flavor First, Jimmy Cowan of the North Carolina Farm Bureau and WNC Communities, Jerry Moody of the Avery County Cooperative Extension Office, Dee Clark of C&G Nursery, and Steve Griffin of Griffin Farms.
Representing the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Director R.J. Karney will give a 2025 policy outlook.