WASHINGTON, D.C.- While Mississippi ranks low in many categories, the Biobased production industry is not one of them. The state is a top five contributor of Biobased products.
Now, a biobased product is anything made out of a plant, or crop, or basically anything grown and raised. Mississippi ranks high in soybean, poultry, rice, and cattle farming.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that Mississippi has been a key in the biobased industry.
“The diversity of the Mississippi agricultural economy is important, and that’s what gives it the ability to be engaged and involved in this biobased economy, because there are many opportunities to convert soybeans, or corn, or a wide variety of forest products,” Vilsack said.
He also said that Mississippi has twenty companies invested in the biobased industry, and that 40,000 products are currently being made in Mississippi.
You can here the full interview with Secretary Vilsack HERE: