Beef exports getting closer to pre-BSE levels
Washington Ag Today October 19, 2010 In its October Outlook the USDA increased its forecast for U.S. beef exports for 2010. Outlook Board Chairman Jerry Bange puts U.S. beef export numbers into some historical perspective. Bange: “The numbers are creeping up closer and closer to 2.3 billion pounds. The reason I mention that is getting back before the BSE days one might remember we were looking at numbers in the range of 2.5 billion pounds. So we have gradually been clawing our way back to get back to that number.” The U.S. Meat Export Federation says cumulative January through August export totals for beef were up 16 percent in volume and 27 percent in value. The nearly three billion dollars in value is nine percent higher than the corresponding pre-BSE value total from January to August of 2003. USMEF says export value for January through August equated to 144-dollars 32-cents a head compared to 115.25 a year ago. Exports made up 11.4 percent of production, up 9.7 percent from last year. Mexico is the leading U.S. beef export market followed by Canada, but Japan, which was the top export market prior to BSE, is closing the gap on Canada. ? The Washington State Farmers Market Association is getting 87-thousand dollars from the USDA’s Farmers Market Promotion Program. The program supports increasing access to healthy foods in underserved communities or food deserts by creating direct-to-consumer marketing channels. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
