North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

What North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services does

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is a state government department established in 1917 and headquartered at 1001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC. It operates under the authority of the State of North Carolina, led by Commissioner Steve Troxler, and is organized into approximately 26 divisions covering regulatory enforcement, consumer protection, agricultural development, and environmental stewardship. Core functional areas include the Standards Division (weights and measures, fuel quality, LP-Gas inspection, metrology, grain moisture), Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division (pesticide regulation, pest control licensing), Food & Drug Protection, Meat & Poultry Inspection, Agronomic Services, Veterinary, Plant Industry, N.C. Forest Service, Soil & Water Conservation, Farmland Preservation, Marketing, Emergency Programs, and Small Farms.

The department's operational infrastructure includes multiple specialized laboratories at the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center (4400 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh) — the Metrology Laboratory (precision mass, volume, and temperature calibration), Fuel Quality Laboratory (mobile motor fuel, heating fuel, and motor oil testing), Grain Moisture Laboratory (grain meter inspection), and the broader Agricultural Sciences Center supporting agricultural research. A network of 100 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts provides localized conservation and environmental services across all 100 North Carolina counties, and 39 Standards Division inspectors enforce marketplace equity and fairness across the state. Approximately 2,500 inspections are performed annually at the Mountain State Fair and State Fair for tank and line compliance.

NCDA&CS is funded primarily through state appropriations and federal grants, supplemented by nominal regulatory fees (e.g., $30 calibration fee for 5-gallon test measures, $5.00/acre Forest Management Plan charge, LP-Gas dealer registration fees). The department received $12,500,000 from USDA in October 2024 and administers an ongoing ~$900K annual research grant program in partnership with NC State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative. It serves farmers and agricultural producers, consumers, agribusinesses, commercial/industrial measurement-device users, small and limited-resource farmers, and licensed pest control operators. Key partnerships include NC Cooperative Extension (community outreach across all 100 counties), NC State University, and the 100 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The agency supports an agriculture sector that contributes $102 billion annually to North Carolina's economy and leads U.S. production of sweet potatoes (54% of U.S. output) and tobacco (~60% of U.S. production).

Name

North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Legal name

North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Website

https://ncagr.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

NCDA&CS is a North Carolina state government department operating 26 divisions that enforce agricultural, consumer-protection, weights-and-measures, and forestry regulations; fund university research; and administer licensing, inspection, and disaster assistance services to farmers, agribusinesses, and consumers statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Agricultural Services

NAICS

Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Forestry (800), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Certification, Compliance & Chain-of-Custody Support (AFAMAAAH), Controlled Wood / Due Diligence / Risk Assessment Services (AFAMALAC), Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification for Forest Products (AFAMALAB)

Keywords

• Agricultural regulation services
• Consumer protection services
• Food safety inspection
• Weights and measures
• Pesticide regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is a state government department that regulates and supports North Carolina's agriculture, food safety, consumer protection, and environmental conservation through approximately 20 divisions. Core services include weights and measures enforcement, fuel quality and LP-Gas inspection, structural pest control and pesticide licensing, food and drug protection, meat and poultry inspection, agronomic services, soil and water conservation, forest management, farmland preservation, and emergency disaster assistance for agricultural producers.

Product overview

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is a state government department, not a commercial product company. It operates as a portfolio of regulatory and service divisions managing North Carolina's agriculture industry and consumer protection. The department encompasses approximately 26 divisions including Standards (weights and measures, fuel quality, LP-Gas inspection), Structural Pest Control and Pesticides (pesticide regulation, pest control licensing), Soil & Water Conservation (district support), Small Farms (outreach to limited-resource farmers), N.C. Forest Service (woodland management, wildfire recovery), Food & Drug Protection, Meat & Poultry Inspection, Agronomic Services, Marketing (farmers markets, farm-to-school), Emergency Programs (disaster relief), and Farmland Preservation. These divisions provide regulatory oversight, inspection services, research support, grants, and educational programs for North Carolina's agricultural sector, which contributes $102 billion to the state's economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standards Division Regulatory division responsible for enforcing the North Carolina Weights and Measures Act, Gasoline and Oil Inspection Law, and LP-Gas Inspection Law. Provides fuel quality testing, weights and measures inspections, LP-Gas safety inspections, Metrology Laboratory calibration services, and Grain Moisture Program verification.
• Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division Regulatory division administering the NC Pesticide Law of 1971, NC Structural Pest Control Act of 1955, and NC Bedding Law of 1937. Provides pesticide registration, applicator licensing, compliance enforcement, pollinator protection, and consumer pest control information for pest control operators and applicators.
• Soil & Water Conservation Division Division supporting 100 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts across North Carolina with programs, initiatives, and commission oversight for environmental protection, farmland preservation, and conservation.
• Small Farms Division Outreach, education, and grant assistance program for small farms (179 acres or less or earning $50,000 or less gross income), limited-resource, and minority farmers who are traditionally underserved.
• N.C. Forest Service Division providing woodland management plans, Forest Legacy Program, timber management, wildfire and storm recovery resources, tree seedling sales, and forestry cost-share programs for forest landowners.
• Food & Drug Protection Division Division ensuring food safety and protecting consumers through regulatory oversight of food, drug, and cosmetic safety across North Carolina.
• Meat & Poultry Inspection Division Division providing inspection services for meat and poultry processing and slaughterhouses, ensuring regulatory compliance and food safety.
• Agronomic Services Division Division providing agronomic services including soil testing, plant analysis, and nutrient management recommendations for North Carolina farmers.
• Marketing Division Division promoting North Carolina agricultural products through farmers markets, agricultural centers, NC Farm Fresh directory, and the N.C. Farm to School Program.
• Emergency Programs Division Division administering disaster assistance programs for agricultural producers, including USDA Disaster Block Grant Relief Program for Hurricane Helene affected counties.
• Farmland Preservation Division Division working to preserve North Carolina farmland through conservation easements and farmland preservation initiatives.
• Plant Industry Division Division managing plant protection programs including pest detection, invasive species management (spotted lanternfly), and plant industry regulations.
• Agricultural Sciences Center Research facility housing the Standards Division home office, Fuel Quality Laboratory, Grain Moisture Laboratory, Metrology Laboratory, Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division, supporting agricultural research, innovation, and scientific services.
• N.C. State Fair Annual state fair event managed by NCDA&CS with approximately 2,500 inspections performed annually to ensure tank and line compliance.
• Food Distribution Division Division managing food distribution programs for North Carolina.
• Veterinary Division Division providing livestock health programs and veterinary services, including disease response such as New World Screwworm monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• North Carolina produces 54% of all U.S. sweet potatoes and is the top tobacco producer in the country
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NC Cooperative Extension - Pender CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Jointly hosted Pesticide Collection Day event on March 4, 2026, removing over 1,323 pounds of pesticides for safe disposal to prevent groundwater contamination. Pender County holds this collection program every two years.
• North Carolina State University - College of Agriculture and Life SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCDA&CS awarded approximately $900,000 in grants to 11 NC State University researchers (including nine faculty from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) to support 12 agricultural research projects for the 2025-26 cycle. Research spans AI-powered fungicide screening, battery materials from biomass, disease-resistant crops, and other innovations.
• N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven NC State researchers affiliated with the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative received grants from NCDA&CS for 12 agricultural research projects claiming approximately $20 return per dollar invested. Projects include AI fungicide screening, domestic graphite production from switchgrass, hemp grain production, and AI-enabled orchard management.
• 100 County Soil and Water Conservation DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network of 100 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts providing localized conservation services, farmland preservation, and environmental protection programs.
• ProGro BIOminorOthersNCDA&CS conducted third-party research demonstrating that Rhizol microbial soil inoculant delivers measurable improvements in soil health and crop nutrition based on analysis of over 1,000 independently tested soil samples.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries: Alabama's combined agriculture and industries agency runs parallel programs in plant and animal protection, food safety, and weights and measures, serving as a Southeastern peer for operational and budget benchmarking.
• Tennessee Department of Agriculture: Tennessee's agriculture department performs comparable regulatory, consumer protection, and forestry functions, and is a useful regional benchmark for operational structure and program design across Southeastern U.S. states.
• South Carolina Department of Agriculture: South Carolina's state agriculture agency provides a regional peer with overlapping responsibilities in crop protection, consumer services, marketing, and weights and measures, operating in the adjacent Southeastern geography.

Others

• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA): NASDA is the nonpartisan association representing all state agriculture departments; it does not compete directly but coordinates policy, training, and federal advocacy that shape NCDA&CS's operating environment and funding opportunities.

Direct peers

• Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Virginia's combined agriculture and consumer services agency shares the same consolidated naming convention and regulatory remit (food safety, weights and measures, consumer protection) as NCDA&CS and serves a neighboring Southeastern ag economy.
• California Department of Food and Agriculture: California's state agriculture agency administers plant and animal health, food safety, agricultural marketing, and weights and measures programs, paralleling NCDA&CS's division structure across a larger state.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Florida's state agriculture and consumer services agency is the closest name- and scope-equivalent peer, regulating food safety, weights and measures, pesticide use, forestry, and consumer protection across a similarly large agricultural economy.
• Texas Department of Agriculture: Texas's state agriculture agency operates analogous regulatory, marketing, and consumer protection functions over a comparable large agricultural economy, making it a directly comparable peer in scope and mandate.
• Georgia Department of Agriculture: Georgia's state department of agriculture oversees food safety, plant industry, animal industry, fuel and measures, and marketing programs with a scope directly comparable to NCDA&CS, particularly for Southeastern U.S. agricultural regulatory models.

Broad incumbents

• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): APHIS is the federal counterpart for many NCDA&CS functions (pest detection, animal health, plant protection). As a broader incumbent it sets national standards and provides federal funding, including the recent $12.5M grant to NCDA&CS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NCAgriculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-carolina-department-of-agriculture-and-consumer-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services