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Rice Fields in Hyde
County
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North Carolina’s Northeast Region has a distinct
place in the world of biotechnology and biofuels development. Using the
successful model by Ventria for growing rice in the region’s blacklands
and the continued success of
Avoca, Inc., as the world’s largest
supplier of clary sage/botanical processing to the biochemical industry
in the US and Europe, we have the potential to develop this niche into a
long-term opportunity to further biotechnology and biofuels development
in the Northeast Region.
Our region’s sophisticated farmers are an advantage
to our efforts as well as our region’s isolated croplands to grow high
wealth crops. These two factors are the foundation to recruit companies
that want to be close to the source of the crops used in the pharma and
nutraceutical industries.
Through a regional development grant from the North
Carolina Biotechnology Center, North Carolina's Northeast is working
with the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) to document region's
infrastructure to support biotechnology development in Northeast North
Carolina, it is imperative that we look at our regional resources, such
as the Vernon James Center near Plymouth, the Eastern North Carolina
Biotechnology Center, and others to nurture new opportunities in
biotechnology/life sciences. Focusing on development of biotechnology
and biofuels opportunities and research can provide a firm foundation to
advance this business cluster.
North Carolina's Northeast Commission is coordinating meetings with
regional scientists, educators, and industry to enhance the future of
plant biotechnology research and commercialization in the region.
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