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Virginia

Virginia agriculture exports reached record-high $5.1 billion last year

Rebecca Barnabi
farmer in field
(© scharfsinn86 – stock.adobe.com)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday that Virginia’s agriculture and forestry exports reached a record high in 2022.

Data from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) reveals that the Commonwealth’s agriculture industry provides an impact of more than $82 billion to the state’s economy and more than 380,000 jobs. Exports in 2022 eclipsed the record set in 2021 by 25 percent.

In 2022, Virginia’s exports reached $5.1 billion. Youngkin said the data “provides a tremendous foundation to work from as I prepare to embark on my first international trade mission.”

Virginia’s top export destination is China, which purchased $1.45 billion in agricultural and forestry products last year.

In the top five are also Egypt, Taiwan, Venezuela and Canada.

The state’s top exports are soybeans and soybean meal, followed by pork, poultry and tobacco.

Youngkin will lead a trade mission to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea from April 24 through April 29, 2023.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.