The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service (ERS) recently released annual estimates of U.S. exports by state and commodity group based on each states’ share of U.S. agricultural production. Nebraska was the number one exporter of animal fats by value in fiscal year (FY) 2004 at $114.4 million, followed by Kansas at $101.1 million, Texas at $87 million, Iowa at $34.7 million, and Colorado at $34.6 million. Rounding out the top 10 states in exported animal fat value is Wisconsin at $24.9 million, California at $21.6 million, Illinois at $20.6 million, Minnesota at $19.3 million, and Pennsylvania at $17.1 million.
According to the ERS report, Nebraska has been the top exporter, by value, of live animals and meat (excluding poultry) for years, but in FY 04, Iowa captured the claim with a commodity value of $725 million. Nebraska’s live animals and meat value was $520.8 million, down by half from FY 03’s $1.05 billion. ERS attributes this shift to the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States in December 2003, leading countries, including Japan, to halt beef exports.
Other top exporters of live animals and meat in FY 04 are Kansas at $343.2 million, Texas at $327.1 million, North Carolina at $255.2 million, Minnesota at $250.2 million, Illinois at $247 million, Kentucky at $197.2 million, Indiana at $164.3 million, and Oklahoma at $127.2 million.
Nebraska did, however, retain the top spot for hides and skins exports for the third year, with a FY 04 value of $350.4 million, a slight drop from FY 03’s $372.6 million. Kansas was the second top exporter at $322.3 million, followed by Texas at $279.8 million, Wisconsin at $115.1 million, and Colorado at $110.6 million. Completing the top 10 states in exported hides and skins value is California at $64.2 million, Utah at $57.4 million, Iowa at $55.9 million, Minnesota at $54.8 million, and Pennsylvania at $51.9 million.
Southeastern states dominated export values of poultry products for FY 04, with Georgia leading the way at $274.2 million, the highest value for one state since FY 01. However, Arkansas wasn’t too far behind with a commodity value of $272.9 million. The value of North Carolina and Alabama poultry product exports was relatively close at $229.5 and $228.1 million respectfully. Other top exporters of poultry products are Mississippi at $176.3 million, Texas at $135.8 million, Indiana at $77.6 million, Virginia at $75.3 million, California at $70.1 million, and South Carolina at $69.2 million.
ERS estimates are based on two key sources of data. Export data are national-level Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States data from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, which are not separable by state. ERS also uses state-level historical production data from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to determine state export shares for U.S. crops and livestock.
For more information on the statistics, log onto www.ers.usda.gov/data/stateexports.
August 2005 Render