MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in the production of mink pelts, accounting for one in three U.S. pelts last year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Wisconsin produced 1.13 million mink pelts last year. That was up almost 8 percent from in 2011, the last year for which figures were available.
Wisconsin came in well above Utah, which was second in the U.S. with 855,000 pelts.
Two-thirds of Wisconsin's mink pelts were black. Another 10 percent were blue iris, 9 percent were mahogany and 8 percent were white.
National production increased 15 percent last year compared to 2011, to 3.5 million pelts. The pelts were worth $200 million, or an average of $56.30 per pelt.
