Kansas agricultural exports are the highest they’ve been in decades, according to the governor’s office earlier this week.
Ag exports for 2022 reached $5.46 billion — a figure the governor’s office says is the highest export total in decades. In 2019, Kansas had $3.8 billion in ag exports.
“Once again, we are shattering records to grow our economy and strengthen our ag industry,” Governor Laura Kelly stated in a news release from her office Tuesday. “But even with these record exports, we aren’t taking anything for granted – which is why Secretary Beam and I are building relationships with international trading partners to ensure Kansas farmers and ranchers can continue to feed the world.”
The top ag export for Kansas was red meat, which made up $2.1 billion — or 38.9% of all agriculture exports. Second were cereals (including corn, wheat, and sorghum), and third was oil seed (primarily soybeans), making up 24.5% and 12.5% of total agricultural exports, respectively.
Mexico was Kansas’ largest ag importer with $2.17 billion in 2022, Japan was the second largest with $781 million, and Canada was third with $594 million.
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam met Tuesday with his state and provincial agriculture counterparts from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. as part of the annual Tri-National Accord in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, to strengthen relationships with key trading partners, the news release said.
This annual event allows state agricultural leaders to discuss critical issues affecting trade between the three countries, including animal health, rural development, and agriculture technology.
“Kansas is a national leader in agriculture, and the continued growth in agricultural exports shows the significance of the work being done throughout the Kansas ag industry to develop these international markets,” Beam said.
For more about international marketing programs at KDA, including information about upcoming trade missions, and to see the full report on Kansas’ ag exports in 2022, go to agriculture.ks.gov/International.
