The Office of Agribusiness Development (OAD) was established in 2015 as a division of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. The OAD was created to support and encourage the expansion of the existing industry while also strategically recruiting other agribusinesses.
With nearly 25,000 farms, the Palmetto State is fortunate to have a strong, growing agribusiness cluster based on the abundance of arable land and driven by sophisticated, highly productive, and diversified private enterprise.
ACRE
The Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE) is housed within the SC Department of Agriculture’s Office of Agribusiness Development to encourage and support the continued advancement of ACRE entrepreneurs and research.
In 2017, the South Carolina General Assembly designated funding to promote agribusiness in our state. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture used that funding to create ACRE. Thus far, ACRE has awarded over $1,862,500 to 163 agricultural entrepreneurs, funded several industry-driven research projects, and led dozens of business workshops throughout the state.
Overall, the ACRE program seeks to provide additional economic prosperity for SC agribusiness from within the state and from across the globe. ACRE will house a unique research platform devoted to addressing specific challenges for industries that can provide more market opportunities to South Carolina agribusinesses and farmers.
