Cumberland County, NC, rethinking incentives for Sanderson Farms

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  Jason Morrison

  The commission of Cumberland County, North Carolina, will hold a public hearing on incentives for Sanderson Farms.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The board of commissioners for Cumberland County, North Carolina, has reopened the issue of whether to offer an incentives package for Sanderson Farms, which had been considering building a poultry processing plant in the county.
  After the commission in early January voted 4-3 against holding a public hearing for an incentive package for the poultry company, the issue had appeared to be dead. However, upon hearing that Sanderson Farms was no longer interested in building in Cumberland County after that vote, one commissioner changed his mind.
  The commission on January 20 held another vote on holding a public hearing, this time voting 4-3 in favor of holding a hearing. Commissioner Charles Evans decided to vote for the hearing, citing a need to be fair about the process.
  The hearing will be held on February 2.
  Sanderson Farms has met a fair amount of opposition from residents of Cumberland County, who fear that a new poultry plant would create traffic, odor and pollution problems.
  Cumberland County is not the only North Carolina county that has expressed an interest in the Sanderson Farms plant. Sampson, Hoke, Robeson and Harnett counties have all been examining the possibility. Other counties in Virginia have also reportedly been interested in luring a new Sanderson Farms plant.