Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- German exports of agricultural products rose 9.9 percent in the first three quarters of 2011 compared with the same period a year ago, the agriculture ministry said.

The total value of farm exports this year is projected to be 58 billion euros ($77 billion), up from 53.3 billion euros in 2010, the ministry said in an e-mailed statement in Berlin today, citing preliminary figures for 2011.

The value of exports of milk and milk products rose 18 percent last year to about 7.5 billion euros, while foreign sales of meat and meat products increased 5.6 percent to 8 billion euros.

Exports to non-European Union countries rose 18 percent last year compared with 2009, led by increased sales to Russia, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, China and South Korea, the ministry said. EU exports grew 5.9 percent.

--Editors: Leon Mangasarian, Jennifer Freedman.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Crawford in Berlin at acrawford6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net