Meat Trade with Asia
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. A recent trade mission hosted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation to Asia focused on telling the story for U.S. Producers.
USMEF President Dan Halstrom says the region is a top market for U.S. beef …
HALSTROM … “The Asian markets, Japan and Korea in particular, are our bread and butter on the beef side. (They were our) first and third largest markets last year, and historically, that is usually where they fall. Very important on the pork side as well.”
Having a trade team of producers abroad to see their checkoff dollars at work, Halstrom says, is just as important as the Asian’s having the chance to see who’s producing the U.S. products …
HALSTROM … “We always have huge success bringing the producers themselves into the markets and having them help us tell the story to our very important customers, not only in Japan and Korea but all over the world.”
As for marketing U.S. meat products, Halstrom says the team utilizes two main strategies …
HALSTROM … “One is a short-term strategy, and that is using our producer group to really help tell the story. It is very effective, and in the discussions we had in Korea earlier this week, the first topic was never about price. It was more about, tell me about how the production practices, how does it work, what do you guys do on the farm.”
Still feeling the impacts of COVID, food service continues to struggle in these Asian markets, Halstrom added, so there is room for growth in that area later on.
