YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

U.S. agriculture celebrates record year for exports

By Gary Joiner
Publisher

The exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world totaled $177 billion last year.

That’s a record level. The amount topped the 2020 total by 18%. And it exceeded the previous export record, set in 2014, by 14.6%.

We can mostly thank higher commodity prices and rising global inflation for the record value, although additional product was shipped from the U.S.

Our country’s top 10 export markets all saw gains in 2021. Six of the 10 set new records.

Worldwide exports of many U.S. products also reached all-time highs. That included soybeans, corn, beef, pork, dairy, distillers grains and pet food.

China remained the top export destination, with a record $33 billion in purchases. That’s up 25% from the previous year. Mexico inched ahead of Canada to capture the number two position.

Texas is a huge player in all of this. Our state exports 19% of all the product out of the United States. And agriculture is a big part of it.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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