Kansas agricultural exports reached a reported $5.35 billion in 2021, up from $4.04 billion in 2020. The 2022 coverage of Kansas Department of Agriculture figures described it as the first time in at least a decade that the state’s agricultural exports exceeded $5 billion. The milestone is historical—not a current-year record.
What Kansas exported in 2021
The 2021 total was reported as a 32% increase over 2020. Meat, cereals and oilseeds were the largest listed commodity categories:
| Commodity category | 2021 reported value |
|---|---|
| Meat | $2.06 billion |
| Cereals | $1.51 billion |
| Oilseeds | $626 million |
These category figures and the statewide total were Kansas Department of Agriculture figures reported by Kansas Reflector coverage republished by News From The States in 2022.
Where Kansas agricultural exports went
Mexico, Japan and China were the leading destinations in the 2021 figures. Kansas shipped agricultural products to 187 countries that year, according to the same 2022 report.
#1 Best Overall
| Destination | 2021 reported value |
|---|---|
| Mexico | $1.91 billion |
| Japan | $822 million |
| China | $701 million |
How later export totals compare—and why definitions matter
Later published figures add context, but they do not form a clean, directly comparable series across sources. The Kansas Governor’s Office reported $5.46 billion in agricultural exports for 2022 in a 2023 release. For 2024, the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s March 2025 report lists $4.75 billion, while the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Kansas page, citing USDA data, reports $5.4 billion in domestic agricultural exports.
The available sources do not explain the full reconciliation between the two 2024 figures. USTR specifically cautions that USDA state agricultural-export estimates and Commerce goods-export estimates use different methodologies and are not directly comparable. That caveat is important when comparing those two kinds of statistics; it does not, by itself, explain the difference between KDA’s and USTR’s 2024 agricultural-export totals. The figures should therefore be attributed to their respective publishers and definitions rather than treated as interchangeable or as proof of a precise year-to-year trend.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the milestone means for Kansas
The 2021 report ties the record to the scale and reach of Kansas agriculture: the largest listed categories were meat and crops, and the leading markets spanned North America and Asia. Governor Laura Kelly said at the time: “Kansas is a national leader in agriculture, and setting these records solidifies the important role the state also has on a global scale.” The numbers describe export activity, not farm profits or the income of an individual producer.
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