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Kelly touts revamped infrastructure for record ag exports in 2021

Kansas ag exports topped $5 billion for the first time ever in 2021 and Governor Laura Kelly says investments in infrastructure helped expedite products to market. 

“For many years, we did not fund our infrastructure programs: our highways, our roads, our bridges (and) our short line railroads. We have now in the last three years, we have restored all of the funding to those programs.”

Meat exports topped the list at $2.06 billion and cereals made up $1.51 billion of total exports in 2021. Other products exported include oilseed, vinegar, beverages, dairy products, milling products, fats, vegetables, flour, and starch.

She tells Brownfield updating infrastructure have helped ease the burden of transportation costs.  “We’ve been able to do things like extend short line rail.  I think 14 or 15 different projects across the state, which allows our farmers to move their product to market much more quickly, much more efficiently.”

Mexico purchased the most amounts of ag products worth more than $1.9 billion.  Japan and China combined to buy nearly $1.5 billion.

Kelly says she’s coordinating with the Kansas departments of commerce and agriculture to explore additional markets.

Laura Kelly, Governor of Kansas:

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