Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. Click on the links to go straight to the full story.
- “Troxler to pitch NC exports in China,” WRAL-TV: State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is heading back to China. Troxler and six staffers from the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services leave Sunday for a week-long trade mission to try and increase North Carolina exports to Asia. He led a similar trade mission in 2009. …
- “Census data shows Triad, Northwest growing at healthy rate, but nowhere near Mecklenburg, Wake,” Winston-Salem Journal: The Triad and Northwest North Carolina haven’t exactly been the tortoise when it comes to population growth over the past 10 years. But compared with the hares of Mecklenburg and Wake counties, it may seem that way. …
- “UN: Food prices hit record high in February,” Charlotte Observer: Global food prices reached new highs in February, a U.N. food agency said Thursday, warning that oil price spikes could provoke further increases. …
- “1st U.S. enzymatic biodiesel operation to be unveiled,” Durham Herald-Sun: Piedmont Biofuels will unveil the nation’s first enzymatic processing operation at the 2011 Sustainable Biodiesel Summit on Saturday. The summit is part of a four-day National Biodiesel Conference. …
- “Local farm wins national organic award,” Greensboro News & Record: An eastern Guilford County farm is the grand winner of a national contest sponsored by Stonyfield. Reedy Fork Farm, operated by the Teague family in Elon, won the Stonyfield Organic Farmers Grant-a-Wish Program. …
- “Bug fighters to bring jobs here,” News & Observer: TyraTech, a Florida company that develops pesticides and products to fight internal parasites, is relocating its headquarters to Morrisville. The move will bring 105 jobs to Wake County. Some of those positions are expected to be filled by existing employees moving from Florida. …
- “NC budget cuts land conservation but doesn’t end it,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Funding for land conservation is down but not out of the state budget. Gov. Bev Perdue’s proposed budget includes half as much money for the state’s largest conservation trust fund compared with the amount of funding it received before the economic downturn. …
- “Ag center gets first manager,” Chapel Hill News: Matthew Roybal will be the first manager for The Piedmont Food & Agricultural Processing Center, which will open for business in April. Roybal, a resident of Hillsborough, is a natural foods and culinary consultant. …