Wisconsin Ag Connection - Coronavirus Hit Wisconsin Mink Industry Hard in 2020

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Coronavirus Hit Wisconsin Mink Industry Hard in 2020
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 07/23/2021

The fur industry in Wisconsin took a major blow as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The latest numbers on mink production indicate that the state continued to lead the U.S. with over 403,000 pelts harvested during 2020. But that was 61 percent less than the previous year's harvest. Nonetheless, Wisconsin's production still accounted for 29 percent of the nation's total pelt output.

The number of females bred in Wisconsin to produce kits during the past year rose slightly at 103,940.

Pelts produced in 2020 by color class were: Black at 74 percent, White at 11 percent, Mahogany at five percent, and Sapphire at two percent. The remaining color classes accounted for eight percent.

The report no longer indicates how many farms each state has, but Wisconsin led the nation in that category several years ago with around 70.

Nationally, mink pelt production during 2020 totaled 1.40 million pelts, down 49 percent from the year earlier. Females bred to produce kits totaled 323,560, down 10 percent from a year ago. The U.S. value of pelts produced during the crop year was $47 million, down about 19 percent from 2019 levels.

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