Idaho set a record for ag export value in 2025

By Sean Ellis

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

POCATELLO – Idaho set a record for total value of agricultural exports in 2025 and is on pace to set another record in 2026.

Led by dairy and live animal exports, Idaho companies sold $1.44 billion worth of farm exports to other countries in 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. That was 6 percent more than 2024, which was also a record.

According to USDA, U.S. farm product exports fell 3 percent in 2025.

“Idaho's agricultural exports have outpaced U.S. averages, thanks to its diverse commodity mix and limited reliance on corn and soy—crops impacted by China’s shift away from U.S. suppliers and increased global competition from South America,” said Doug Robison, the Idaho president for AgWest Farm Credit.

He said that while tariffs have posed challenges, Idaho’s proximity to the West Coast and recent food processing investments continue to strengthen the state’s export position.

Supported by optimal growing conditions, the state also recorded record or near-record production for most agricultural commodities in 2025, Robison said.

“This resulted in higher-than-average output and increased availability of goods for export,” he said.  

According to the Census Bureau data, Idaho has set records for total ag export value in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Through May of this year, the total value of Idaho ag exports is up 7 percent compared with last year. Exports of live animals, already soaring the past several years and at a record level in 2025, were up 62 percent through May 2026, compared with the same period last year.

The Census Bureau data is based on what state a commodity is exported from, so it doesn’t capture all of Idaho’s farm product exports. For example, it wouldn’t capture the wheat from Idaho that is exported out of Portland.

A separate set of USDA data, which is typically released in the fall and represents the previous year’s totals, captures more of the state’s farm exports but is not as timely as the Census Bureau data, which is released monthly.

However, both sets of data track closely when it comes to percentage increases and decreases.

According to the USDA data, Idaho companies sold $2.84 billion worth of agricultural products to other nations in 2024, a record for the state and up 8 percent from 2023.

The USDA data shows a steady increase in Idaho farm product exports over the past decade, from $1.84 billion in 2015 to $2.84 billion in 2024.

According to the Census Bureau data, the value of Idaho dairy exports totaled $348 million in 2025, up 24 percent from 2024, and live animal export value totaled $188 million, up 26 percent.

Idaho exports of processed vegetables, a category that includes frozen potato products, totaled $182 million in 2025, down 10 percent from 2024, and edible vegetable exports, which include potatoes, totaled $140 million, down 11 percent.

Canada remained the top destination for Idaho ag exports, as more than $451 million worth of farm products from the state were sold there in 2025, a 3 percent increase over 2024. Mexico came in next ($235 million, down 10 percent), followed by Japan ($96 million, up 36 percent), South Korea ($93 million, up 27 percent), and China ($90 million, down 18 percent).

Idaho companies also sold $81 million worth of farm products to Australia, up 31 percent, and $55 million to Australia, up 111 percent.