South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers recently reached a major milestone.
Yes, Mike. As of Sept. 14, I have been South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture for 20 years.
I was appointed by the governor in 2004.
As a department and as an industry, we have accomplished some important things during these 20 years:
- Grew the state’s agribusiness industry from $34 billion in 2006 to $51.8 billion in 2020, exceeding the “50 by 20” goal we set in 2009 to guide industry growth.
- Created the Certified South Carolina program in 2006. The program now boasts more than 2,100 members and has more than 80% brand recognition among in-state consumers.
- In 2009, created the Fresh on the Menu program, a companion program for restaurants that serve Certified South Carolina foods.
- After the Legislature directed the State Farmers Market to move to a site in Lexington County, led a successful relocation of the market and construction of a state-of-the-art lab facility.
- Founded the South Carolina Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE). Since 2018, ACRE has given grants totaling $1,253,500 to 112 entrepreneurs, provided intensive agribusiness training to 122 entrepreneurs, funded 49 major, industry-driven research projects, and served people in every South Carolina county.
- Navigated changes in the agriculture industry as South Carolina’s dominant crops like tobacco were succeeded by others. In 20 years, the state has grown as a producer of peaches, peanuts and poultry, while developing its agritourism industry and helping farmers diversify into specialty crops like berries, leafy greens, turf, and more.
- Created the $40 million Growing Agribusiness Fund to expand in-state processing.
These did not happen by accident. It has come through strategic planning.
I’ve got about two and a half years more, and we still have some big plans.
In the spring, we’ll be hosting an industrywide strategic planning retreat. This is something we’ve done periodically to help shape the future of agribusiness in South Carolina.
Thanks for everyone’s support and partnership over the years.