Sampson County officials present agricultural statistics, warn of farmland loss

County officials presented Sampson County agriculture statistics and told the Board of Commissioners that agriculture remains the county's top industry even as the county faces potential farmland loss.

Brad Hardison, joined by Ray Jordan and Jim Johnson, told commissioners “it is our number 1 industry in Sampson County” and provided an overview of acreage, production and employment. Hardison said the county has about 292,000 acres in active agricultural production (not counting approximately 200,000 acres of woodland) and cited total agricultural sales of about $2.1 billion, figures the presenters said come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Commerce.

Hardison described crop, timber and livestock statistics: more than 200,000 acres in crops with sales of roughly $264 million; about 53,000 acres of managed timber with estimated sales of approximately $20 million; and pasture and hay acreage of roughly 9,600 acres with livestock sales cited by the speaker. He also said the county accounts for about 12% of North Carolina's total agriculture output and ranks high nationally for production.

Speakers discussed structural changes in the farm sector: the county lost farms over the past decade while average farm size increased, a pattern Hardison described as “the bigger getting bigger and the smaller getting smaller.” He said family farms remain dominant, accounting for about 89% of farms in the county.

Jim Johnson explained North Carolina's present‑use value (PUV) program and its purpose: to reduce tax impacts on farmland as development pressure increased in the 1970s. Johnson said the county currently has roughly 404,588 acres in the PUV program (figures cited in the meeting), representing about 48% of the county as farmland and 42% as timber, and that deferred taxes associated with those designations total about $5 million annually. He explained how PUV assessment differs from market valuation and how unit concepts and soil productivity affect values.

Presenters warned of possible future farmland loss under different development scenarios. Using American Farmland Trust projections discussed at the meeting, they estimated that under “business as usual” development the county could lose about 17,100 acres by 2040, with a higher loss under “runaway sprawl” and a much smaller loss under planned development. Hardison urged the commissioners to consider planning measures to reduce farmland conversion.

The presentation was informational; no county action was required or taken on the agriculture presentation itself. Commissioners asked questions and the presenters said they would provide more detailed information on specific points on request.