Candidates speak to agribusiness

Agribusiness and political business combined as some of South Carolina's gubernatorial candidates fielded questions about one of the state's largest industries.

Six of the 10 candidates running for governor -- three Democrats and three Republicans -- appeared Friday at a town hall forum during the Palmetto Institute's annual South Carolina Agribusiness Summit in Charleston.

Sharing the stage were Republicans, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, state Sen. Larry Grooms and state Attorney General Henry McMaster; and Democrats, Columbia attorney Dwight Drake, Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen.

The candidates answered questions from business and agricultural leaders about agriculture, forestry, food processing and agritourism. They also discussed how, if elected governor, they might help boost agribusiness in the state.

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Agribusiness is now a $34 billion industry in South Carolina. But summit participants explored how to boost the industry to $50 billion by 2020.

McMaster said agribusiness is "a big part of the way to make South Carolina better." The state's assets include land, forests, water and many miles of roads. "What we lack is organization," he said. The state needs to get organized and build networks to brand and market South Carolina products," he said.

Grooms said he plans to continue to focus on economic development and jobs in rural South Carolina. He also would take a close look at state regulations that prevent agricultural programs from growing and expanding. Agribusiness and agritourism will take the state's rural areas forward, Grooms said.

Moderator David Winkles, president of the South Carolina Farm Bureau, also asked candidates to comment on the needs and economic future of the Interstate 95 corridor, an area marked by poverty and educational problems.

Drake said the state must address "the unfair education that's been there for too long." State leaders need to make sure that every student, including those who live along I-95 |in an area that has been called "the corridor of shame," can read at the third-grade level by the time they reach third grade.

Educators often use that as a indicator of future academic success.

McLeod also spoke about education in the I-95 corridor and throughout the state. He said he is strongly opposed to vouchers and tax credits and called such programs "a direct assault on public schools."

They will siphon money from struggling schools and "kill our rural communities," he said.

Sheheen said the state needs "a real alternative energy plan," which includes" hydrogen, biofuels, and wind power. The state also needs to step up efforts to promote conservation, he said.

Winkles also asked candidates about the state's role in federal issues, such as illegal immigration.

Bauer said the state should "get involved when the federal government falls short," which was the case with illegal immigration in South Carolina. But, he said, state leaders should talk to the federal government about making it easier to become a citizen in the first place.

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.