Missouri farmers have become a vital element in the state's export business.

Farmers supply a variety of crops and livestock, ranging from cotton, tobacco, soybeans, poultry and rice. Their crops now account for more than $1.50 of every $7 in goods exported to 169 countries each year.

In 1997, agriculture exports reached $1.54 billion, a 17 percent increase over the $1.3 billion in exports the year before. Farm export totals for 1998 have not been computed yet.

Farm export totals during the 1990s reached almost 9 billion.

Nationally, Missouri ranks among the top 20 states in total-dollar farm export sales, but ranks in the top five in soybean, rice and dairy product exports.

Missouri-grown soybeans continue to provide the highest export sales, with soybean and soybean products totaling $582 million in 1997, followed by feed grain and grain products at $354 million.

Wheat and wheat products rank third in Missouri's farm export dollar volume, reaching $176 million in 1997.

Poultry is another big export item, with more than $108.7 million being exported in 1997.

Mexico is currently the leading buyer of U.S. agricultural products, said Robert J. Frueh, director of the St. Louis World Trade Center.

A lot of products are being exported from Southeast Missouri to places around the world, said Frueh. That list includes agriculture products, automotive parts, video cassettes, magnets and other products from the area.

Overall exports from Missouri total more than $7.5 billion last year.

"We don't have a breakdown on all the exports from the different areas," said Frueh. "But, overall, exports from Southeast Missouri and the immediate Southern Illinois area served by the St. Louis World Trade Center, have resulted in more than $200 million in new businesses and thousands of new employees."

Southeast Missouri shares in all the exports, including the agriculture exports.

Recent figures from the Southeast Missouri Port Authority, located between Cape Girardeau and Scott City, show an increased export interest.

"We had our biggest year ever at the port in 1998," said Dan Overbey, director. "Tonnage figures here were over a half million tons."

The 579,881 tons which passed through the port last year -- a lot of it designated for New Orleans to be shipped to points throughout the world -- more than doubled the tonnage of 1997, at 229,668 tons.

Grain, coal, lime and fertilizer were big items passing through the local port.

Tonnage started increasing dramatically when Consolidated Grain opened its new grain facility at the port, giving the company two facilities in the Cape Girardeau area.

Within the past two years, Midwest Grain and Barge and a wood chip mill have also located facilities in the port area. Those additions offer more freight activity at the port.

Another reason for increases in farm exports is that Missouri agriculture producers are seeing more of their bulk commodities exported as processed food products.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, U.S. agriculture exports of processed foods topped bulk commodity exports for the first time in 1998, which increased export totals to Canada and Japan. Both countries import large amounts of food items.

"More and more, Missouri corn and soybeans are leaving the nation's borders as pork, poultry, meat and dairy products," said John L. Saunders, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Wheat farmers are seeing more of their grain exported as pancake mixes, snack foods and cereals.

"We're seeing a trend in farmers banding together to add value to their raw commodities," said Saunders. "When raw commodities are made into ready-to-use products it creates a demand for labor and supplies, jobs for Missourians, sales for local businesses and stronger rural communities."