Nebraska Farm Bureau releases annual Agriculture and International Trade Report

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - For the third straight year, the value of Nebraska exports are going up.

On Thursday, the Nebraska Farm Bureau (NFB) released their annual Agriculture and International Trade Report highlighting Nebraska’s value of agricultural exports in 2021.

Total value of Nebraska exports increased by $2.1 billion from $7.1 billion in 2020, to $9.2 billion in 2021.

Corn surpassed soybeans as Nebraska’s top export with corn bringing in $2.3 billion, soybeans bringing in $1.9 billion, and beef a close third at $1.6 billion.

Even though numbers are up, there’s still concern being expressed for the future by the NFB as well as Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith.

With corn being Nebraska’s number one export, 89% of the corn crop grown in the state is exported to Mexico.

But a new Mexican Decree set to be enacted in 2024 would forbid genetically modified corn from being imported to Mexico. However, around 90% of corn grown in the United States is genetically modified.

”I wish President Biden would take a stage anywhere, with any kind of background, take a podium on a stage and say what Mexico is doing is not right,” Congressman Smith said. “Mexico agreed to accept our GMO product, and now they’re saying they won’t take it.”

Last week the Biden Administration said they would begin to take initial steps to challenge the Mexican Decree. Until then, the future of genetically modified corn exportation to Mexico is in limbo.

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