Marketing - Buyer Resources
North Carolina is the third most diversified agriculture state with more than 150 commodities. From the Atlantic Ocean to productive regions of the coastal plain, rolling fields of the Piedmont and the ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina produces top-ranking commodities among U.S. agriculture including lumber, sweet potatoes, tobacco, poultry, eggs, hogs, Christmas trees, trout, turkeys, soybeans and more. Six famous foods born in N.C. are Pepsi, Cheerwine, Mt. Olive Pickles, Krispy Kreme, Texas Pete Hot Sauce and Bojangles.
North Carolina Ports offers two excellent port locations, Wilmington and Morehead City, both offer extensive warehousing and open storage. Both ports provide easy access to interstate highways and major railroads.
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North Carolina harvests some of the finest fish and shellfish available anywhere in the world. North Carolina’s seafood industry is compiled of over 80 different species, including catfish, oysters and shrimp. We are ranked fifth in the nation for catfish production and are home to one of the few places that raise soft shell crab.
North Carolina is home to a wide variety of beer, wine and spirits. North Carolina has the largest number of breweries in the American South ranging in style from IPA, pale ale, stout, porter or sour. North Carolina also has over 180 wineries. North Carolina’s heritage product, moonshine, dates back to the 1920s. Today is is legally distilled and uses North Carolina product.
The most popular variety of Christmas tree grown in North Carolina is the Fraser fir. North Carolina ranks #2 in Christmas tree production with the majority of trees grown in the western region of the state. Popular international markets for North Carolina Christmas trees include Canada and the Caribbean.
Cotton is a leading cash crop for the United States. North Carolina, as a part of the Cotton Belt, is a top 10 producing state with a rich history of cotton production.
North Carolina is an international leader in the forestry products industry, providing stable and sustainable markets for timber, lumber, veneer, plywood, chips, pellets, wood pulp and paper products. North Carolina ranks eighth*(2022) in the nation in wood product exports, with top commercially available species such as yellow poplar, red oak, white oak, Southern yellow pine and ash.
North Carolina produces 21 major fruit and vegetable crops including watermelons, greens, white potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, muscadine grapes and more. North Carolina is number one in sweet potato production in the United States. The state’s hot, moist climate and rich, fertile soil are ideal for cultivating sweet potatoes, averaging nearly half of the US supply.
North Carolina ranks third in the nation for pork production with an industry that strives to be environmentally sustainable, to provide advanced safety, and to be an asset to research in a variety of other fields.
Poultry is North Carolina’s number one agricultural industry with over 5,700 farm families that produce poultry and eggs. N.C. is ranked second nationally for poultry production.
North Carolina is home to hundreds of specialty foods, from sauces to cookies, toffees, candies, truffles, cheese straws, snack foods, seasonings, juices, drinks and more.
Nearly 80% of flue-cured tobacco is grown in North Carolina thanks to the state’s soil and climate that produce the richest most flavorful leaf in the world. Our growers have a strong commitment to producing tobacco with a focus on quality, integrity and sustainability.