by Trevor Williams | December 20, 2012

When Ron Kirk addressed the Metro Atlanta Chamber this month, there likely wasn’t a farmer in the room. Yet one of the brightest statements woven into the U.S. trade rep’s speech on national problems like the fiscal cliff and K-12 education was his assessment of agricultural exports.

Even with a historic drought, America is on pace for its best year ever for selling food, timber, meat and plants overseas. U.S. ag exports hit $137 billion in 2011 and were up 2 percent through October compared to the same period last year, even as export growth slowed overall.

By BRAD HAIRE

U.S. farm exports are experiencing a golden age, but Jerry Hingle says that open door of global opportunity for U.S. agriculture could narrow or even close if not properly maintained. Many countries are looking to squeeze through it ahead of the U.S., if given the chance. “Right now we are blowing and going strong overseas. … And we need to keep riding that wave,” says Hingle, executive director of the Southern United States Trade Association who is based in New Orleans.