Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Sunday, July 20, 2008

Wis. continues to lead in mink production

By The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in mink production.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service says the state produced more than 914,000 mink pelts last year, or 32 percent of the nation's total.

This year, nearly 218,000 female mink have been bred to produce kits, up 1 percent from last year.

The U.S. produced 2.83 million mink pelts last year, down slightly from the year before. The total value was $186 million, up 34 percent from $139 million the year before.

The average price per pelt rose by $17.30, from $48.40 in 2006 to $65.70 last year.

Wisconsin had 71 mink farms in 2007. There were 283 nationwide.

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