Kentucky is famous around the world for many things, among them beef cattle production, bourbon whiskey distillation, and horse breeding. In fact. The signature brands closely associated with the state are still The Kentucky Derby and Jim Beam.
Because of the Bluegrass State’s rich soil, Kentucky also grows so much of corn and soybeans every year that farmers are able to sell their produce to neighboring states and also export them around the world.
Although agricultural exports to Japan remain low, Kentucky has found huge success in Japan selling its bourbons, wood products, and Kentucky Thoroughbred horses, said Timothy D. Hughes, senior advisor at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Commissioner, who added that a partnership with the Kentucky Distillers’ Association helped deepen business relations between Japan and Kentucky.
Born out of the bourbon whiskey industry and the crafting of the wood barrels used for ageing, Kentucky has seen a consistent rise in the orders for new wood barrels made from its local oak trees. In fact, even the old wood barrels used for bourbon are being bought by makers of Scotch whisky, tequila and wine around the world.
Over the last five years, the statewide Land Linking Agriculture for Networking and Development (LAND) program has also assisted more than 225 different farms and agriculture-related businesses. The program has highlighted Kentucky's agricultural program by identifying their production and marketing needs, promoting their goods across the entire agriculture community, and developing opportunities for additional growth.
“There’s a strong interest from our livestock sector and our beef producers, some of whom are considering the possibility of finishing more cattle and processing the beef here, as well as finding additional export sales for beef products in the long term,” said Hughes.
Kentucky’s hardwood products are processed into new barrels and eventually exported. Even used barrels, originally used for bourbon aging, are often bought and used by other spirits producers for scotch, tequila, and wine.
