Comment period open until March 4 on guidelines for the new N.C. Agricultural Manufacturing and Processing Initiative

RALEIGH – The review and comment period is open through March 4 for guidelines concerning a new N.C. Agricultural Manufacturing and Processing Initiative to address the lack of capacity for value-added processing of agricultural commodities.

The new initiative was established by the N.C. General Assembly in the 2023 session and will be administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The program is intended to:

1. Provide support for agricultural processing opportunities that increase jobs and local property tax bases across the state and/or reduce costs and increase profit options for North Carolina farmers and growers.
2. Identify and assess opportunities to increase value-added processing of commodities produced in the state and fill geographic and commodity gaps across the state.
3. Market and recruit facilities to fill such gaps and meet such opportunities.
4. Support eligible entities with funding for eligible costs necessary to create or expand agricultural manufacturing facilities and projects related to increased demand for agricultural products.

The proposed guidelines for this program will be published on the department’s website at www.ncagr.gov and provided to persons who requested notice of the proposed guidelines for a period of 20 days before the effective date of these guidelines and any nontechnical amendments to the guidelines. The department will receive oral and written comments on the proposed guidelines and consider such comments before finalizing the guidelines.

Oral or written comments can be submitted to Gregory Hoggard at 919-707-3119 and gregory.hoggard@ncagr.gov or Tim Ivey at 919-707-3117 and tim.ivey@ncagr.gov