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South Carolina’s agribusiness climate remained diverse and robust in 2024, even if its size and impact weren’t always as apparent as some of the state’s higher-profile industries.

A focus on both producing and finishing ag products saw some important victories last year, including the addition of a new seafood processing plant in the Lowcountry and a new beef processing facility in the Upstate.

That said, drought, flooding, and a hurricane hurt farmers in different parts of the state, resulting in total losses of more than $600 million. Helene stressed South Carolina’s agritourism industry, as well.

“While the disasters in 2024 put a strain on South Carolina agribusiness, overall, the state of the industry is strong,” S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers said in a statement. “We’ve seen major gains in vegetable acreage, and our push to increase in-state meat, vegetable, and seafood processing has led to some exciting company expansions, all of which help create more opportunities for South Carolina farmers.”

It’s estimated that South Carolina’s agribusiness cluster generates $51.8 billion in annual economic activity and supports nearly 260,000 jobs, according to a 2022 study by University of South Carolina research economist Joey Von Nessen.

The industry has begun reaping the rewards of the Growing Agribusiness Fund, established in 2023 by a $40 million appropriation from the General Assembly. The goal of the program, run by the S.C. Department of Agriculture, is to assist existing South Carolina businesses engaged in processing, packaging, manufacturing, distribution, storage, and transportation of ag products.

In July 2024, two fund-connected expansions were announced: Lowcountry Oyster Co. announced that it would expand with the construction of a $6.4 million seafood processing and cross-dock facility in Green Pond; and construction of a new beef processing plant in Spartanburg County.

Lowcountry Oyster Co.’s site will be the first of its kind in South Carolina, featuring a state-of-the-art chilled-water wet-storage system and climate-controlled processing and holding areas, including more than 10,000 square feet of refrigerated space.

Construction of the new Knockout Butchery site in Pauline will enable owners Travis and Misty Howard to convert their existing processing plant to pork and poultry, quadrupling their processing capacity. 

“More than 700 farmers in South Carolina raise beef, and the Knockout project will allow more of them to raise their animals to maturity and have them processed in the state, thus keeping more dollars in our economy,” Weathers said.

More investment

Other significant projects announced during the year included McEntire Produce, a fresh produce processor, repacker, and wholesaler, which said in March it would invest $26.2 million and create 40 new jobs at its plant in Columbia in order to improve production capacity.

Also, Nova Molecular Technologies, a high-purity solvents manufacturer, announced in January 2024 that it would be expanding its operations in Sumter County, with a $23.75 million expansion.

The goal is to capture more products in state, rather than sending them elsewhere to be finished, said Eva Moore, communications director for the S.C. Department of Agriculture.

“Historically, it’s been that we grow things in state and ship them out of state,” she said. “We want to process more of what we grow here in South Carolina, whether it’s cattle, vegetables, seafood, or any number of other commodities.”

Ag production was hurt by a summer drought, Tropical Storm Debby in August and Hurricane Helene in September. The financial damage to South Carolina’s agribusiness industry was more than $620 million, much of it from Helene, according to damage assessments completed by the S.C. Department of Agriculture and S.C. Forestry Commission.