News

Mink production down, pelt value up

Mink pelt production continued to fall in 2023.

USDA says nationwide, mink pelt production was down 28% from 2022, and down 10% in Wisconsin, the nation’s leading mink producer. Wisconsin produced just over 514 thousand pelts in 2023, and Utah was the second-highest producer with just over 138 thousand.

Mink breeding is also down, with 118 thousand females bred in Wisconsin this year, which is 10% fewer than 2023.  Nationally, the number of bred females is down 14% from last year, with 55% of the bred females in Wisconsin.

Pelt values were higher in 2023.  USDA says the 2023 crop value was 33.1 million dollars, down 10% from 2022 but the average price per pelt was $34 last year, $6.80 more than 2022.