05/16/07 Beef to Mexico

Beef to Mexico American beef producers have found there are other export markets besides Southeast Asia. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to tell you about one. Mexico has emerged as the biggest importer of U.S. beef. After U.S. beef export markets in most of the world were shut down in December 2003 because of a confirmed case of BSE from an imported Canadian cow, America has been working to regain those markets. The biggest help we got to partially compensate for the loss of Southeast Asia markets was right across our southern border in Mexico. Over half of the nearly 1.2 billion pounds of exported American beef or 668 million pounds went to Mexico in 2006. The Iowa Beef Industry Council sent a trade mission group to Mexico to analyze this market first hand. The vice chairman, a board member, and director of industry relations for the IBIC found Mexican importers, distributors, and processors of U.S. beef were enthusiastic about the quality of that beef. They also believe in the potential for more growth of the U.S. beef import market. Mexican consumers have access to nearly all the beef cuts America producers, providing them with a wide choice. The trade mission group found many Mexico consumers prefer U.S. beef over Mexican produced beef. Mexico also is the largest importer of U.S. beef variety meats such as tripe and liver. Works for me  they're not my favorites anyway. I'm Jeff Keane. Wallace Farmer April 2007