The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division has collected fines from stores in Camden, Chowan, Durham, Hertford, Nash, New Hanover, Moore, Randolph, Sampson, Surry, Union, Vance, Wake, Watauga, Wayne, and Yadkin counties because of excessive price-scanner errors.
Press Releases
The board of the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of North Carolina has set the 2022 boll weevil assessment at 75 cents per acre of cotton. The amount remains the same as in 2021. The fee supports the foundation’s efforts to monitor cotton acreage in North Carolina for any re-introduction of the boll weevil and to respond promptly with eradication treatments if necessary.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has opened the application period for the Agricultural Crop Loss Program for farmers that suffered losses due to Tropical Storm Fred. The program will cover losses of crops, feed, livestock, aquaculture and farm infrastructure for farmers in Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties. The agricultural commodities must have been planted but not harvested, or for aquaculture commodities raised on or before, Aug. 17, 2021.
Over half of North Carolina's private forestland is owned by individuals and families, collectively making them the largest group of forest owners in the state. The N.C. Forest Service offers many programs and services to help owners manage their woodlands and Avery County Ranger D.J. Whitson is available to help.The amount of privately owned timberland in Avery County is about 98,000 acres. Individual landowners play an important part in keeping the forests of Avery County healthy and growing.
North Carolina’s updated forest action plan has been approved by the USDA Forest Service and is now ready to be implemented by forestry stakeholders across the state. The plan is a thorough review of the state’s forestland, focusing on changes and trends that have occurred since 2010. The plan not only evaluates past and current forest conditions, but also addresses factors that may impact forest health and sustainability moving forward.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler today announced a new partnership for the Got to Be NC Agriculture program with singer-songwriter Paige King Johnson. The Harnett County native who is pursuing a country music singer/songwriter career in Nashville, Tenn., will be the musical voice of the Got to Be NC agriculture marketing program.
WHO/WHAT:The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is hosting its 16th annual Agricultural Development Forum in conjunction with theSouthern Farm Show.The forum will include a 2022 economic outlook, a panel discussion on increasing the meat and seafood processing capacity of smaller, local processors in the state, and a presentation on the fertilizer market – which has seen steep increases in prices this season.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is seeking input from residents and other interested parties in Vance County concerning planned treatment activities for the non-native, highly destructive gypsy moth.
The N.C. Bioenergy Research Initiative and the New and Emerging Crops Program recently awarded $1 million in grants for 15 projects aimed at boosting bioenergy opportunities and crop production in the state. The Bioenergy Research Initiative began in 2013, with the allocation of funds by the North Carolina General Assembly. The initiative’s grants of $500,000 support the development of energy production from North Carolina agricultural and forest-based products.
High Path Avian Influenza has now been confirmed in 53 hunter-harvested wild waterfowl at three sites in North Carolina. These sites are Hyde County, a site located on the Pamlico/Beaufort County line and a new site in Bladen County. These are the first wild birds in the United States to have Eurasian H5 HPAI since 2016. The positive samples were collected by USDA as part of its ongoing surveillance program for early detection of HPAI in collaboration with state wildlife agencies.