USDA is investing $1.92M to establish an Agriculture Business Innovation Center at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (NC A&T) State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
The new innovation center will act as a technical assistance hub to support agriculture-based business opportunities nationwide, with a focus on outreach to socially disadvantaged populations and historically underserved communities. Its remit will include:
- Offering technical assistance to food and agricultural producers, offering production scale assessments, market planning and development, business planning and other advisory services
- Assisting start-ups in agribusiness including planning and obtaining funding
- Providing workforce development and educational experiences for students interested in careers in agriculture business
- Offering outreach services and activities such as training, workshops and dissemination of information and materials
“This new innovation center is a perfect complement to the NIFA-funded 1890 Center of Excellence for Student Success and Workforce Development already housed at NC A&T State University,” said Acting NIFA Director Dr. Dionne Toombs. “The combination of these two centers will deliver a much-needed boost to the next generation of agricultural professionals and will support growth, profitability and success of existing businesses to increase employment opportunities in the field.”