Source: NCDA&CS, 1/17/12
 

Trends affecting North Carolina’s economy and agriculture will be the focus of the seventh annual Ag Development Forum Thursday, Feb. 2, at the State Fairgrounds.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler also will deliver his annual State of Agriculture address at the forum, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Holshouser Building.

Keynote speakers will be Mike Walden and Blake Brown, agricultural economists at N.C. State University. The pair will highlight trends they expect to have an impact on the state’s economy and its agricultural industry.

“The forum continues to provide participants with information we hope they can use to benefit their farms and businesses,” Troxler said. “I encourage farmers, agribusiness professionals and others interested in agricultural policy and economics to attend.”

Farm safety will be the subject of a roundtable discussion featuring representatives of the state and federal labor departments, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. State University’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and N.C. Farm Bureau.

Admission to the forum is free, and lunch will be provided. Registration is requested by Jan. 27. To register, go to www.ncagr.gov/agforum. Individuals with questions may contact Chrissy Waggett at 919-707-3008.

The forum is sponsored by Agri Supply and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.