ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The Bright Ma Innovation Center, known as BIC, is a hemp research and innovation center that will be located on an 85 acre of land right outside of Orangeburg.
It's owned by Charleston-based company Bright Ma Farms.
“Expanding the hemp threshold to encompass everything that this miracle plant provides us," said Bright Ma Farms CEO Harold Singletary.
In partnership with the SC State 1890 Research and Extension Program. It will enable the university to test more seedling varieties of the plant. The center is expected to bring 30 jobs and provide internship opportunities to both SC State and Claflin University.
“Having a relationship with South Carolina State University, we’re now in our second year of an industrial hemp program with them and we look to leverage our outreach to bring minority farmers to the table," said Singletary.
According to Singletary, the innovation center will provide students with the tools they need to learn about how the supply chain affects the hemp market. Students will receive hands on training tackling all aspects of hemp production including biology, engineering, and marketing and business.
According to SC State 1890 Research and Extension program associate research scientist Dr. Florence Anoruo, researchers have been partnering with Bright Ma Farms to make sure farmers have access to resources they need for industrial hemp production and to prevent losses.
"It's a crop that is very expensive to grow from the seedlings, well actually, the seeds. So if the farmer makes any mistake, they have a lot to use," she said.
Bright Ma Farms plans to invest about $30 million into the center that will be funded through grants and private funding. The plan is to finish the innovation center within the next 18 months.
"It expands research education and extension opportunities for not just for SC State but also for Bright Ma Farm and all of the hemp farmers in South Carolina, especially minority farmers, so I'm really excited."