Colorado agricultural exports in the first half of the year rose 27 percent from the same period last year, to $508.9 million, state officials said Wednesday.
Colorado exports of meat, hides and skins; animal products such as milk, eggs and honey; miscellaneous food; and miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit were all up.
“With continued efforts to open more global markets to Colorado and U.S. beef, we look forward to further increases in our beef exports,” Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp said in a statement.
Stulp also said he was encouraged by a nearly 91 percent increase in state exports of hides, used in cars, purses, shoes, belts and jackets. He said Asia has significantly increased hide imports.
Nationally, hide exports were up 61 percent, said Tim Larsen of the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s markets division. “We got a little bit more than our share, and I’ll take it,” Larsen said. The Associated Press
