West Africa Shows Promise for U.S. Beef Exports

The United States Meat Export Federation is always examining new and emerging markets for U.S. beef exports.With a large population and rapid economic growth, a region with strong export potential is West Africa, as USMEF Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communication Dan Halstrom, USMEF says 

Halstrom: “ The countries that are part of this project are Angola, Benin, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Togo. You have over 300 million people in this region of Africa. You also have dramatic population growth and dramatic GDP economic growth — averaging between 5 and 8 percent growth. So what is driving this? In a lot of in cases it is natural resources — gold, diamonds, gas, off-shore oil drilling. They are resource rich but expertise and manufacturing poor.”
Halstrom says that the focus of our beef and pork exports would be in variety meats.
Halstrom: “They do have domestic industry, but it is small and antiquated. The potential is mind boggling. It is very apparent to me if these economies continue to grow, they are going to be also most totally dependent on imports. Most of what is going in on imported beef and pork side are the variety meats. It is beef feet, sinews, snouts, lips, ears, tripe, masks and this sort of thing."