RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler today announced $7.6 million in grants focused on atmospheric controls for agricultural products to benefit farmers and growers in counties affected by Hurricane Helene.The purpose of the N.C. Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI) is to fund and promote the establishment of value-added agricultural manufacturing and food processing facilities in North Carolina.
Press Releases
Twelve agricultural research projects based in North Carolina are benefiting from $1 million in grants from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service. The projects, awarded through the department’s Project Management section, aim to boost new crop production or involve innovative research to advance the agricultural economy in the state.
WHO/WHAT: The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is hosting its 20th annual Agricultural Development Forum in conjunction with the Southern Farm Show. The forum will include a 2026 economic and policy outlook, comments from USDA Under Secretary Dudley Hoskins and an overview of the N.C. Ag Disaster Assistance Program. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will also present the Exporter of the Year award and deliver his annual State of Agriculture update.
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will activate its hotline Saturday, Jan. 24, to connect farmers with resources that can assist with damage and other agricultural emergencies related to the storm. The toll-free number is 1-866-645-9403. A live operator will be available on the hotline Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
RALEIGH –The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant proposal applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the marketplace. Nonprofits, commodity associations, state and local government agencies, colleges and universities wishing to apply have until March 10 at 5 p.m.
The first case of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus type 2 in North Carolina was confirmed in a domestic rabbit in Dare County. RHDV2 is typically a fatal disease affecting both domestic and wild rabbit populations and is primarily found in the Southwestern United States.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has expanded a state quarantine for the imported fire ant to include all of Davie, Forsyth and Iredell counties effective Jan. 1, 2026. With the expansion, the quarantine now includes portions or entire areas of 81 counties in North Carolina.
N.C. Forest Service (NCFS) Warren County staff have been named recipients of the 2025 Moreland Gueth Water Quality Award. This award is presented annually to the N.C. Forest Service employee or team of employees who demonstrate creativity and dedication toward the protection of North Carolina’s water resources.
A horse recently imported from Florida to Davidson County has tested positive for Equine Herpes Virus Type 1. Following additional testing and per USDA guidance, the horse meets the case definition for Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). The epidemiological investigation for this case indicates that it is not related to the ongoing national EHV1/EHM outbreak.