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State Ranks Ninth in Ag Exports

North Carolina is the ninth-largest state in agricultural export value, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina is the ninth-largest state in agricultural export value, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The state previously ranked 12th on the list.

The USDA estimates the value of North Carolina’s exports at more than $2 billion. U.S. agricultural exports reached a record $68.7 billion in fiscal 2006, up $6.2 billion from the previous record in 2005.

“I am proud that we have had success in our global marketing strategy,” state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. “Our international marketing specialists have been working hard to find new markets for our farmers, and their efforts are paying off.”

North Carolina is the leading tobacco-exporting state, accounting for 38 percent of U.S. exports, and ranks third in poultry exports, behind Arkansas and Georgia, according to the report. The state is also the fifth-largest exporter of peanuts, sixth-largest exporter of live animals and meat products and the seventh-largest exporter of cottonseed and products, the report said.

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