State agriculture exports on the rise

OLYMPIA - Good news for the state's agricultural export industry as a new report shows exports have increased over the past couple of years for most commodity groups.

The state Employment Security Department released its 2012 Agricultural Workforce Report earlier this month. The report includes information on the overall state of the agricultural economy, agricultural employment and earnings, the H2-A employment program and irrigated agricultural production.

Also in the report are details on Washington's agricultural exports. According to the report, the state exports most of its agricultural production overseas or to its sister states.

More than one-third of the last two year's agricultural production value was exported to foreign markets. In 2010, exports made up 33.5 percent of the sector's overall value.

In 2011, exports were 36.2 percent of production value.

In addition, commodity exports increased in value by 24.9 percent from 2010 to 2011.

Foreign exports were valued at $2.6 million in 2010, but at $3.3 million in 2011, according to the report.

Wheat exports increased by 70 percent from 2010 to 2011. In 2010, wheat exports were valued at more than $497,000 while in 2011, they were valued at close to $848,000.

Wheat was the highest valued export in 2011.

The other two highest valued exports in 2011 were fresh fruits and processed fruits, which increased by 17.2 percent and 20.5 percent from 2010 to 2011 respectively.

Other large year-over year increases were corn, at 42.2 percent, dairy, at 38.1, feeds and fodder, at 27.8 percent and beef and veal, at 16.6 percent.

Increases in agricultural exports can also be seen as good news for Grant County as the county's agriculture sector exports 75 percent of what it produces.

According to a study released last year titled "Grant County, Washington Irrigated Agriculture: Economic Impact Analysis," agriculture was Grant County's largest exporter in 2011, with exports of about $1.2 billion.

Fruit and hay were the main exported crops that year.

The county's agricultural manufacturing sector also does a lot of exporting, according to the study. Nearly 90 percent of its output is exported.

Frozen food manufacturers export 97 percent of their products and fruit and vegetable drying operations export 95 percent of their products.