09/16/08 Ag exports up, imports up

US ag exports were up for the month of July, up from June's figures. USDA economist Nora Brooks says July exports rose one percent from June to 9.7 billion while ag imports rose three percent to 6.7 billion dollars in sales for July. Even more impressive says Brooks are the year-to-date totals like 97 billion dollars in exports. BROOKS "Which is about 45 percent over the same period for fiscal 2007. The grain and soybeans account for most of the increase but there's also significant increases in dairy products and vegetable oil." Ag imports for fiscal '08 are up 66 billion, a 13 percent increase over the same period last year. BROOKS "The bulk commodities are up 71 percent above last year and the high value commodities are up only 29 percent." But what about exports for the rest of 2008? BROOKS "Projected a total export value of 114 billion and if we keep it at the same pace say roughly just under ten billion a month that forecast would be below what we would expect but we do think that some of the soybean and grain will start to slow down as some of the South American crops come in and they start competing with us." Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott