Nevada’s food, agricultural export sales rise $19.5 million in 2013

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s food and agricultural exports reached a milestone in 2013 with sales surpassing 2012 sales by $19.5 million, the state Department of Agriculture reported Thursday.

Exports in 2013 totaled $137 million compared to $117.4 million in 2012 for a 17 percent increase in sales year over year.

“This is great news for Nevada’s food and agriculture industries,” said Jim Barbee, director of the Agriculture Department. “We look forward to further growth and increased job creation throughout the sector.”

Food and agriculture products are Nevada’s ninth largest export category. The top four markets for Nevada food and agriculture products in 2013 were Canada, China, Mexico and Japan.

The majority of these exports – 94.8 percent – comprise 10 product categories that include cereals, flour and starches, beverages and spirits, grains and seed, fruits and vegetables, trees, plants and sugar-based products.

State exports in 2013 for all industries totaled $8.7 billion, down from $10.26 billion in 2012. The largest decrease was seen in precious metals and stones, which could be explained by a drop in the price of gold.

“Over the last decade, agriculture has been economically consistent, making it a very beneficial contributor to our state’s economy,” Barbee said. “We look forward to future agriculture export growth and its potential impact in Nevada.”

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, for every $181,000 in export sales, one job is created and pays 17 percent better than a job not associated with exporting. In Nevada, that means 756 high end jobs were created in 2013 due to the state’s food and agriculture exports.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Follow him on Twitter @seanw801.