Promising year ahead for S.C. Farming

S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers

By Hugh Weathers, S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture March 21, 2021/ thetandd.com

Spring is always a time of optimism and new beginnings, and the spring of 2021 is really pushing that to the max. With more people getting vaccinated by the day and COVID-19 rates dropping, it’s starting to feel like there’s a light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel.

Less COVID risk also means more people are eating out at restaurants and generally returning to their prepandemic activities. Many specialty crop farmers and wholesalers modified their business models and plantings last year to adjust to changes in consumer habits – there were a lot more direct-to-consumer sales – so I’ll be curious whether some of those changes will be permanent. I’ve heard several farmers say they plan to keep selling direct to consumers even as restaurant business rebounds. We’ll do some consumer research to be able to advise farmers.

One upside of the pandemic has been the strengthening of our South Carolina Food Hub Network. South Carolina now has seven food hubs, including ACE Basin Growers right in Orangeburg.

The network, which the department has supported with some grant funding, helped several food hubs and distributors win federal and local food box contracts in 2020. These programs directed money to South Carolina farmers and fed hungry people – a win-win all around.

The end of the pandemic will be good news, but one of the challenges in the agriculture industry is how to keep the public focused on the food-supply chain and supporting local food options even after the pandemic ends. At the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, we’re talking about how to make sure people think about food as well as the farmers who grow it for them. Those relationships are essential to the future of farming in South Carolina.

Looking ahead, widespread vaccination is key to our return to some kind of normalcy, so I encourage everyone who’s eligible to go ahead and get vaccinated. Our department has been working with health providers, state leaders and some agribusiness companies to set up some on-site vaccination clinics for the ag workforce, which I hope will increase the vaccination rates in our industry.

As of this writing, I’ve had my first of two shots, and it went fine.

Markets look good

Looking ahead, widespread vaccination is key to our return to some kind of normalcy, so I encourage everyone who’s eligible to go ahead and get vaccinated. Our department has been working with health providers, state leaders and some agribusiness companies to set up some on-site vaccination clinics for the ag workforce, which I hope will increase the vaccination rates in our industry.

As of this writing, I’ve had my first of two shots, and it went fine.

For 2021, agricultural exports to China are forecast at a record $27 billion, an increase of $8.5 billion, largely due to strong soybean and corn demand. China is expected to once again become the largest U.S. agricultural market, a position it last held in FY 2017.

Corn and soybean production in South Carolina was up in 2020 over 2019, and we’re seeing those numbers continue to climb in 2021.

In other good news for Orangeburg-area row crop farmers, peanut consumption was up nationwide in 2020. According to data from the Peanut Institute, U.S. per-capita peanut consumption rose to an all-time high of 7.6 pounds last year. I know that I did my part.

Despite the wet weather that delayed planting, planted acres of peanuts in South Carolina were up to 82,000 from 62,000 the previous year. We’re expecting another positive year for peanuts in 2021.

Given the importance of trade, we continue to make headway in developing new trading relationships, and our membership in the Southern United States Trade Association, or SUSTA, is helping develop overseas markets for small to medium-sized South Carolina companies.

Last fall’s announcement of the $314 million Agriculture Technology Campus coming to Hampton County made quite the news splash, which is a huge boost to our state when it comes to trade as well as economic development. Keeping South Carolina “top of mind” in the global agribusiness arena is one of the side benefits of ATC’s huge investment.

For 2021, agricultural exports to China are forecast at a record $27 billion, an increase of $8.5 billion, largely due to strong soybean and corn demand. China is expected to once again become the largest U.S. agricultural market, a position it last held in FY 2017.

Corn and soybean production in South Carolina was up in 2020 over 2019, and we’re seeing those numbers continue to climb in 2021.

In other good news for Orangeburg-area row crop farmers, peanut consumption was up nationwide in 2020. According to data from the Peanut Institute, U.S. per-capita peanut consumption rose to an all-time high of 7.6 pounds last year. I know that I did my part.

Despite the wet weather that delayed planting, planted acres of peanuts in South Carolina were up to 82,000 from 62,000 the previous year. We’re expecting another positive year for peanuts in 2021.

Given the importance of trade, we continue to make headway in developing new trading relationships, and our membership in the Southern United States Trade Association, or SUSTA, is helping develop overseas markets for small to medium-sized South Carolina companies.

Last fall’s announcement of the $314 million Agriculture Technology Campus coming to Hampton County made quite the news splash, which is a huge boost to our state when it comes to trade as well as economic development. Keeping South Carolina “top of mind” in the global agribusiness arena is one of the side benefits of ATC’s huge investment.

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