Press Releases

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Nonprofits and government agencies wishing to apply have until March 4 at noon.Applicants can submit a draft application for staff review by Jan. 26 to gain feedback on their grant proposals. A pdf of the draft application should be sent to jenni.keith@ncagr.gov.

Snow, ice and freezing rain can severely impact trees and forested areas across the state. The N.C. Forest Service urges property owners and anyone preparing for or cleaning up after a storm to be cautious and to always think safety first.

The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is accepting applications for the 2022 grant cycle. Successful projects will meet the key objectives for 2022: create positive impacts for rural communities, stimulate economic development and support the agricultural industry. Funds will be awarded in the fall of 2022 for selected innovative projects.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is expanding a state quarantine for the imported fire ant (IFA) to include all of Granville and portions of Caswell and Person counties effective Jan. 1, 2022. With the expansion, the quarantine now includes portions or entire areas of 79 counties.

The N.C. Pesticide Board recently approved the following 35 settlement agreements for the following counties, plus Richmond, Va.: Bladen, Burke, Caldwell, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Harnett, Henderson, Iredell, Lenoir, Mecklenburg, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pitt, Robeson, Rutherford, Sampson, Surry, Union, Vance, Wake, Wayne and Yadkin.  Settlements are listed by county below, with a dozen cases involving drift damage listed as a group at the end of this release:

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has opened the application period for the first phase of its North Carolina Swine and Dairy Assistance program. The $30 million in federal COVID funds appropriated by the N.C. General Assembly will offer assistance for eligible swine and dairy producers for losses incurred from termination of contracts or ceased milk production due to the pandemic.

The N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning effective at noon Monday, Dec. 13, for the following counties in North Carolina: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Granville, Guilford, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Transylvania, Vance, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.The ban, which went into effect Nov. 29 due to hazardous forest fire conditions, was lifted for 67 other counties on Dec. 8.

The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (N.C. TTFC) awarded over $4 million through 23 grants for agricultural and economic initiatives across the state. These grants place a high priority on projects that stimulate the agricultural economy, train current and future farmers and help farmers execute innovative ideas.

 

Nine representatives have been appointed to serve on the inaugural N.C. Spiritous Liquor Advisory Council created in the 2021 session of the N.C. General Assembly.Members are: