Indiana’s agriculture industry contributes more than $31.2 billion to the Hoosier economy, making Indiana the tenth largest ag state in the nation according to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Hoosier Ag Today recently spoke with Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-IN) about his role in helping to grow Indiana’s ag trade partnerships and welcoming new ag businesses to the state.
“Agriculture is in our DNA. It’s who we are as a people and what we mean to the world. We’re feeding and fueling, not just ourselves, but the world,” says Holcomb, who just returned last week from Kenya to promote trade and continue expanding the state’s global business partnerships.
“I just couldn’t help myself but talk about the duck industry in Indiana, and talk about Indiana’s chicken, egg and turkey [industries] and all that we do, and all that we could do for a part of the world who is truly in need,” said Holcomb.
“In that course of that conversation meeting with some folks at the embassy, [National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO] Ted McKinney’s name came up and [former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture] Kip Tom’s name came up, so Hoosiers are out around the world and have been since the very beginning, but we’re not slowing down.”
During this past year, Holcomb has also been on trade missions to Japan, France, and Portugal.
As part of pitch to boost Indiana on a global scale, he says he points to the state’s cooperative nature for businesses—and says that cooperation makes Indiana an attractive location for global ag companies.
Not only does Indiana serve as the headquarters for some of the world’s leading agriculture companies—such as Corteva Agriscience, Elanco, Intellinair, AgReliant Genetics, Equipment Technologies, Beck’s Hybrids, and Taranis—but many new ag businesses have chosen Indiana as their headquarters, including AgXelerators, AgroRenew, and Verility, Inc. Not to mention that the National FFA Organization is also headquartered in Indianapolis.
In addition, POET reopened their bioprocessing facility in Cloverdale, Indiana last September after it had been idled by the company in 2019. After better federal management of the Renewable Fuel Standard, strong support for E15 (a 15% bioethanol blend) at the state level, and cooperation from Indiana lawmakers, including Gov. Holcomb and Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04), POET decided to invest $30 million to reopen the facility in Putnam County.
“When you think about all we have to offer on our menu—having a great tax and regulatory environment, having the Hoosier work ethic as part of that menu, having great locations, and having the innovation that is coming out of Huntington University and Purdue University. These are gems not just for us, but truly for the world where discoveries are being made,” says Holcomb.
“As demographics drive decisions around the country and around the world, Indiana doesn’t just have a role in it all, but we have a central role,” he adds.
Holcomb tells Hoosier Ag Today that while he is pleased with the growth of Indiana’s agriculture and industry sectors, he and his administration have a competitive fire to see Indiana’s national and worldwide standing in economic development continue to rise. That includes the ongoing pursuit of new global business partnerships and investment opportunities.
“We’re not content, and that’s not being greedy. We’re just not content on where we are right now, but we’re all at the table making sure that we’re growing together,” said Holcomb.
