Governor: Va. reached high mark for exports

NORFOLK

On a gray day in Hampton Roads, Gov. Bob McDonnell flew from Richmond to Norfolk for lunch with good news and bad.

The bad news was that, in his fourth week as Virginia's new governor, the commonwealth is $4 billion in debt and he's gone through his fourth blizzard, he said.

The good news was that despite the bad economy, Virginia last year exported $2.3 billion worth of agricultural products. That's a record, he said, outdoing the $2.2 billion total of 2008.

"We are open for business and ready to begin exporting Virginia products in a new way," McDonnell said during the International Agricultural Trade Conference at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. "I understand the tremendous impact this industry has."

Virginia's biggest import customer, he said, is Canada, which takes in $198 million in farm and forestry products a year. China, and the Netherlands follow, importing $169 million and $118 million, respectively.

The list goes on, according to McDonnell, with countries from Morocco to Hong Kong importing soybeans, wheat, corn, barley and animal feed, tobacco, wood products, peanuts and processed food straight from Virginia.

The International Agricultural Trade Conference was hosted by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Tech, and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service, according to a news release from the State Department.

"Manufacturers workshops like this are very important," McDonnell said. "It gives us an opportunity to network, to exchange ideas."

The conference continues through today.

Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com