08-27-2025

Innovation in Agri-Business & Ag-Tech Across North Carolina’s Southeast

North Carolina’s Southeast is where century-old farm know-how meets modern technology. Spanning 20 counties from the Sandhills to the coast, the region blends powerhouse commodity production with strategic ports, research assets, and a fast-growing ag-tech ecosystem—creating one of the most dynamic agricultural innovation corridors in the U.S. and propelling North Carolina to #8 nationally in the value of agricultural products sold.

Why this region leads

Scale and diversity of production. Counties like Sampson (#1 in NC, #14 in US) and Duplin (#2 in NC) are at the top of North Carolina – and often the nation – for both crop and livestock output. That depth of production provides a real-world testbed where startups and established firms can pilot technologies at scale, from precision livestock tools to next-gen irrigation and harvest automation. In 2024, NC State Extension highlighted Sampson County’s statewide leadership across vegetables, sweet potatoes, poultry, and hogs; Duplin’s 2022 ag census profile shows more than $2.0B in market value of products sold.

Sweet potato country (and beyond). North Carolina leads U.S. sweet-potato production, supplying close to 60% of the national market, anchoring robust seed, storage, handling, and export logistics across the Southeast counties. This strength drives innovation in controlled-environment propagation, storage technologies, and value-added processing. Sampson County is #1 in North Carolina for this crop.

A plug-and-play logistics backbone. With the expanding Port of Wilmington and a modern cold-chain complex on site, growers and food manufacturers efficiently move perishable products to global markets. Temperature-controlled capacity and an export-focused approach are unlocking higher-value opportunities for specialty produce, proteins, and ingredients originating in the NCSE footprint.

R&D and tech transfer – in the field

Ag-biotech & extension muscle. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Southeastern Office in Wilmington connects companies to talent, funding, and partners across ag-biotech, fermentation, and bioproducts. Pair that with programs such as NC State’s Controlled Environments Horticulture program, advancing greenhouse and indoor-farm propagation for high-value crops, and you get a pipeline that moves ideas from lab to farm to factory.

Applied research stations. Facilities such as the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Castle Hayne (New Hanover County) bring growers, equipment makers, and scientists together for practical trials covering everything from environmental control chambers to post-harvest handling. For ag-tech firms, these stations are ideal demonstration and validation sites under real coastal-plain conditions.

From waste to watts. Sampson, Duplin, and Bladen counties house more than 40% of the state’s hog farms, making the NCSE region a national proving ground for renewable natural gas (RNG) from swine operations. Projects like Optima-Kenansville (KV) in Duplin County aggregate biogas from multiple farms, clean it, and inject it into the pipeline – improving manure management economics while reducing emissions. A Duke Energy power plant now uses this renewable natural gas to produce electricity. These directed-biogas models create new revenue streams for farmers and demand for monitoring, analytics, and digester technologies.

Survival of small farms. The Cooperative Extension program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University delivers the most up-to-date information on farming practices and technologies, agricultural business management, climate change mitigation, and food safety to the state’s small and limited-resource farmers and ranchers. This helps to ensure the survival of traditional family farms.

Where ag-tech is gaining traction

  • Precision livestock & animal health: Computer-vision monitoring, feed optimization, and biosecurity tech are scaling rapidly in the hog and poultry clusters centered in North Carolina’s Southeast. The sheer density of operations accelerates learning curves and supplier networks.
  • Controlled-environment agriculture (CEA): Greenhouse and indoor propagation for berries, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and nursery crops benefit from local R&D and year-round logistics for inputs and outputs.
  • Post-harvest & cold-chain: Sensors, data-driven routing, and refrigerated container optimization connect farms and processors with the Port of Wilmington’s refrigerated infrastructure, opening export-class quality and longer shelf life.
  • Bio-based products: Fermentation, enzymes, and biomass utilization (including RNG) are drawing interest from both ag-biotech startups and large integrators seeking circular, lower-carbon supply chains.

Talent, cost, and community advantages

  • Skilled workforce with ag roots. Generational farm experience blends with technical programs at regional community colleges and university pipelines – ideal for field service, field trials, and advanced manufacturing in ag-tech.
  • Cost-competitive and connected. Proximity to I-95/I-40, Class I rail, and the port keeps transport costs in check, while sites across the 20-county NCSE footprint offer room to scale.
  • Built for pilot projects. High-output counties provide the volume and diversity needed to pilot technologies in live commercial settings – then scale across neighboring operations, co-ops, and integrators.

What’s next: opportunities for investors and innovators

  1. On-farm data platforms that combine soil, weather, animal health, and logistics, creating actionable insights and easier compliance reporting.
  2. Low-carbon export lanes leveraging the Wilmington cold-chain to differentiate products with verified emissions and quality data for EU and Middle East buyers.
  3. Manure-to-molecule ecosystems – RNG + nutrient capture (nitrogen/phosphorus) + carbon markets – bundled into farmer-friendly financing.
  4. Controlled Environment Agriculture propagation hubs for regionally important crops (sweet potatoes, berries, ornamentals), reducing risk and ensuring uniform planting stock.

Bottom line

North Carolina’s Southeast isn’t just growing crops – it’s growing the future of agriculture. With unmatched production, a port-anchored cold chain, active R&D, and pioneering sustainability projects, the region offers a rare combination: places to pilot ag-tech in the field and the infrastructure to scale it to the world. If you’re building the next generation of ag-business, this is a place to sow your future.