Virginia agriculture and forestry exports reached a record high value of $5.1 billion in 2022, according to recently released data from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

That’s 25 percent higher than the previous record of $4 billion set in 2021, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced April 10.

Speaking at the Virginia Inland Port facility in Richmond, Youngkin said the export data is a clear indication of the strength of the commonwealth’s first and third largest private industries. Agriculture is the state’s largest private industry, providing more than $82 billion to Virginia’s economy, creating over 381,000 jobs and supporting more than $43 billion in value-added impact.

Youngkin plans to tout the quality and value of Virginia agricultural and forestry products when he leads a trade delegation to Taiwan, Japan and Korea later this month. Taiwan is currently one of Virginia’s top five export destinations, which also include Canada, Venezuela, Egypt and C...