A Feasibility Study of Value-Added Business

Opportunities for Agriculture and Processing Initiatives in Eastern North Carolina

Abstract

The Sparks Company of Memphis, Tennessee conducted the feasibility study that I want to discuss with you today. The study is a cooperative effort of the Craven County Government and the Global Transpark (GTP), with funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation. We were interested in finding a consulting group with experience in agricultural surveys, which proved to be a problem-we found that there were few groups who had done studies focusing on agriculture as an alternative means of production. The purpose of our study was to explore ways to improve returns to the production of agriculture in the communities in the GTP area. We wanted to analyze the economic feasibility of establishing a cold storage facility, or any other type of processing facility, located in a centralized area of Eastern North Carolina. In our study, we concentrated on counties that are within 1-2 hours of the GTP, which is located in Kinston, North Carolina. We were interested in exploring which crops could be grown and in identifying the domestic and international demand for various foods and crops with potential for production in North Carolina, particularly the eastern region of the state.