South Carolina Department of Agriculture

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is a state government agency that oversees and promotes agriculture in the state of South Carolina. It is led by a commissioner of agriculture, a position currently held by Republican Hugh Weathers.

South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Department overview
Formed1879
Headquarters1200 Senate Street, 5th Floor, Wade Hampton Building, Columbia, SC 29201
Annual budget$30,613,907[1]
Department executive

Responsibilities
Red Angus Cattle in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
SCDA inspection and certification sticker on fuel pump.

According to South Carolina law, "The Department of Agriculture shall execute the laws of this State pertaining to agriculture."[2] The SCDA is also responsible for leading safety inspections of farms across South Carolina.[3] In order for any business to sell, manufacture, or pack and food in South Carolina, it must receive a manufacturers, processors and packers permit after inspection from the SCDA.

In 2006, the department enacted the phrase "Certified SC Grown," a label which can only be attached to produce grown in South Carolina. The goal is to encourage more consumers to purchase products produced in South Carolina to support local farmers.[4] According to the department's leader, the SCDA is responsible for $50 billion in economic impact.[5] The SCDA also establishes lotteries from grants and loans for low-income farmers.[2]

The SCDA is also responsible for regulating the sale of gasoline in South Carolina. The department is tasked with ensuring that the state's 64,000+ fuel pumps for motor vehicles in addition to airline fuel pumps are functioning correctly, are dispensing safe and balanced gasoline, and do not contain fraud measures, such as credit card skimmers.[6]

History

The Department of Agriculture was founded in 1879 and launched in 1880 to oversee and promote agriculture in South Carolina.[3][7][8] After the era of slavery in South Carolina, much of the soil had been depleted by the overproduction of cotton. Because the state lacked statistical data on how to make executive decisions regarding agriculture, the General Assembly created the department of agriculture. The department was established with a broad array of responsibilities: fertilizer regulation, soil improvement and analysis, distribution of seeds, sheep husbandry, immigration, geology, labor, and forestry.[9]

Commissioners

There have been 12 commissioners of agriculture since 1880.[9]

# Commissioner Term of office Party Notes
1 A.P. Butler 1880 - 1890   Democratic Position appointed by governor
2 Mr. Moore 1880 - 1881   Democratic
- Position temporarily abolished
3 Ebbie J. Watson 1904 - 1917

(Died)

   Democratic
Elected at-large in 1916
4 A.C. Summers 1917 - 1919   Democratic
5 Bonneau Harris 1919 - 1925   Democratic
6 James W. Shealy  1925 - 1933   Democratic
7 J. Roy Jones 1933 - 1957   Democratic
8 William L. Harrelson 1957 - 1977   Democratic
9 G. Bryan Patrick, Jr 1977 - 1983   Republican
10 D. Leslie Tindal 1983 - 2003   Democratic Switched parties
  Republican
11 Charles R. Sharpe 2003 - 2005

(Resigned)

   Republican Resigned after being indicted on charges of extortion, money laundering and lying to federal investigators[10][11]
12 Hugh Weathers 2004 - present   Republican Appointed by Governor Mark Sanford to fill vacancy. Began elected term in 2007.

References
  1. "2021-22 Budget". scstatehouse.gov. South Carolina Legislature.
  2. "Title 46 - Agriculture CHAPTER 3 Department and Commissioner of Agriculture". scstatehouse.gov. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  3. "About". SCDA.gov. agriculture.sc.gov. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  4. "About Certified SC". certifiedsc.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  5. "Meet the Commissioner". agriculture.sc.gov. South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  6. Emmerson, Anne. "ABC News 4 investigates: Fuel stickers out of date on Lowcountry gas pumps". ABC News 4.
  7. Loria, Keith. "South Carolina Certified Grown means big business for growers". The Produce News. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  8. "Department of Agriculture". dc.statelibrary.sc.gov. South Carolina State Library. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  9. Soderstrom, Daniel. "History, Mission Vision, Partners presentation by Dept. of Agriculture". South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
  10. "Ex-lawmaker finds life after prison - Post and Courier". www.postandcourier.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  11. "Charles Sharpe, former Agriculture Commissioner, reports to prison".
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