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Jan. 2 for the February issue
Feb. 1 for the March issue
March 1 for the April issue
April 1 for the May issue
May 1 for the June issue
June 3 for the July issue
July 1 for the Augusr issue
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Oct. 1 for the November issue
Nov. 1 for the December issue
HPAI found in wild birds along Atlantic flyway
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary
Division recently sent a letter to poultry producers in the state advising them
of the latest updates on high pathogenic avian influenza findings in the wild
bird population and advising them to practice good biosecurity at their farms
and with any backyard flocks.
North Carolina does not have any active cases in commercial poultry flocks
as of press time, but there has been a surge of cases in the United States since
the beginning of October and the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division has been
closely monitoring these cases.
“In December positive cases have been identified in domesticated poultry
flocks in Florida, Georgia and Maryland suggesting that the virus is currently
circulating in the Atlantic Americas flyway," said State Veterinarian Dr. Mike
Martin. "We know the I IPAI virus is still in our resident wild bird populations
and likely migratory waterfowl. I cannot stress enough that poultry owners
continue to review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds."
The NCDA&CS Veterinary Division Is working in conjunction with USDA’s
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and its Wildlife Services, plus
the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in tracking the highly
pathogenic Eurasian H5N1 avian influenza that was first identified in wild
waterfowl in NC back on January 16, 2022.
(See Poultry biosecurity, pg. 2)
Editor s note
Poultry owners are encouraged to keep their birds away from wild
birds as high path avian influenza has been found recently in wild
birds along the Atlantic fly w ay.
NextGenAg social media series launches Jan. 3
Happy New Year and welcome to 2024! If you are making New' Year’s
resolutioas this year, I hope you will make supporting North Carolina agriculture
and agribusinesses one of your resolutioas. Buy local products, shop farmers
markets or on-farm stands, buy a Community Supported Agriculture share,
eat at restaurants that source from local farms are just a few ways to achieve
this resolution and local support helps ensure a strong ag economy and a
stable food supply.
Big news! This year, we are excited to launch the latest year-long social
media series called NextGenAg. For the past four years, our social media
manager Taylor Harris has shared agriculture stories highlighting agritourism
farms, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services employees
and North Carolina farms.
As Ag Review subscribers, you have seen a number of these agriculture
stories featured in the newspaper. 1 hope you have enjoyed reading them and 1
From the tractor
hope you will enjoy and be inspired by the new series which kicks off Jam 3 .
This year, Taylor turns her attention to young people who are or who
want to pursue a career in agriculture. Appropriately, this series is being
called NextGenAg.
The series focus will be on 52 high schoolers, college students, recent
college grads and young professionals who are preparing for a career in
agriculture or who are already at work in the field.
Each Wednesday, readers will meet a new young person excited about
the friture of an industry that feeds us, clothes as and helps fiiel our lives.
Commissioner Troxler teaches an advanced ag class at N.C. State
University and at N.C. A&T State University and often speaks about how
impressed he is by the dedication and determination he sees in the students.
Some students have am their own ag operations for many years, so
(See Editor’s note, pg. 8)
by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler
Commissioner Troxler
I think the beginning of a New
Year always offers an opportunity
for reflection as we also begin to
look ahead. 2023 was busy year for
the department and a big year for the
industry. We reached new heights in
agriculture, but many of the same
challenges remain as we gear up for
this brand new year.
In looking back at 2023, without
question North Carolina’s biggest ag
story of the year was the economic
impact of agriculture and agribusiness
topping the S 100 billion ntaik — S 1 03.2
billion to be exact.
We’ve talked about this milestone
fora while and I kept thinking we were
not far from reaching it. To actually see
the number S 1 00 billion be reported
for the first time was incredible and
humbling.
When 1 first took office, the
economic impact of ag stood at S59
billion. We’ve certainly worked
through a lot of challenges hurricanes,
flooding, late Spring frosts and an
unprecedented pandemic but the
agriculture community has held tight,
we’ve worked together and we’ve
stayed focused on moving forward
from these challenges.
I am so proud of where agriculture
stands today, but can assure you, we
have not reached the top. 1 believe
there is still room to grow and we will
continue to work to support farmers
and agribusiness owners.
Another big stoiy front last year was
the continued monitoring, trapping and
eradication of the spotted lantemfly.
As many readers might remember,
we found an active spotted lantemfly
population around the Kemersville
area where efforts have continued to
monitor and eradicate this pest.
Our Plant Industry Division also
continues to follow up on any reports of
spotted lantemfly sightings. We don’t
want this pest to become established in
North Carolina, so we remain actively
focused on it.
Next in the list of big stories was
our Standards Division staff finding
more instances of price scanner errors
than normal across the state in 2023.
I am proud of their work because
with prices for most things going up,
their inspection efforts helped protect
consumers from being overcharged.
As the year has gone on, the number
of stores where price scanner errors
were found has gone down. Our
iaspectors will continue their efforts.
Another highlight was the N.C.
State Fair, Mountain State Fair and
the Got to Be NC Festival all had
successful mas. You can bet we are
already basy planning for 2024.
And, finally we have seen changes
in leadership within the department.
1 appointed two new assistant
commissioneis and four new division
directors mainly due to retirements.
Dr. Joe French became assistant
commissioner over Agricultural
Services, replacing Dr. Sandy Stewart
who was elected president of the
Sandhills Community College.
Greg Hicks was recently named
assistant commissioner over the
N.C. Forest Service following the
retirement of Scott Bissette.
Marcus Helfrich was promoted
to division director of the Standards
Division after the retirement of
longtime director Stephen Benjamin.
(See Troxler, pg. 3)
