Hay exports face pandemic recovery

Anderson CEO sells hay while the sun shines

ELLENSBURG — Agriculture exports for the state of Washington are in flux with some crops declining and others, such as apples and hay have climbed the value ladder. According to figures recently published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2021 apple exports totaled nearly $2.2 billion, up 4.3% from apple exports in 2020, and roughly one-fifth of the total value of state farm product exports of $10.2 billion. While a few farm commodities posted increases in 2021 from the previous year’s levels — the value of cattle and calf exports rose 13.6%, hop exports rose 8.4% — the USDA reported the value of most of the state’s farm exports fell in 2021, some by a little — the value of potato exports fell 5.4% — while wheat exports fell by a whopping 20.2%. That likely reflects 2021’s drought-ravaged wheat harvest, which fell 48% to 87.2 million bushels from 166.2 million in 2020, according to a USDA report published in January 2020....