The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) concluded its annual strategic planning conference in Tucson, AZ, with the election of officers for 2024-25. Steve Hanson, a rancher and cattle feeder from Elsie, NE, is the new USMEF chair, succeeding Minnesota pork and grain producer Randy Spronk.
Hanson has previously held many beef industry leadership roles, including chair of the Nebraska Beef Council and Federation of State Beef Councils and president of the Nebraska Cattlemen. He also served on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, where he came to appreciate the importance of international marketing programs for U.S. red meat.
“The Operating Committee is where I first got my exposure to USMEF, which invests our checkoff dollars so well and adds value to the beef carcass,” Hanson said.
Hanson also praised USMEF for bringing together a wide range of agricultural sectors to support a common goal—something he said was fully on display in Tucson.
USMEF’s new chair-elect is Jay Theiler, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Agri Beef Co., a diversified business with operations in ranching, cattle feeding, cattle nutrition and beef processing. He is a past director of the Idaho Beef Council and has served on the Beef Industry Long Range Plan Task Force.
USMEF Vice Chair Dave Bruntz is president of Bruntz Farming & Feeding in southeastern Nebraska, where he raises corn and soybeans and feeds cattle. Bruntz is a past president of the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Cattlemen. He also served as a regional vice president for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
The newest USMEF officer is Secretary-Treasurer Darin Parker, director of Salt Lake City-based exporter/distributor PMI Foods.
Meeting sessions
The closing business session also included a USMEF staff panel focused on the importance of market diversification and developing new opportunities for U.S. pork, beef and lamb in emerging destinations.
Scott Reynolds, assistant vice president of marketing programs, described how USMEF categorizes markets for beef and pork and showed how allocations of USMEF investments in new and emerging markets has grown by 22% in the past five years. These are markets with less current volume, but greater upside potential. New and emerging markets can also help manage risk when market access issues occur in the leading markets for beef or pork.
In terms of new, untapped markets for U.S. red meat, Africa tops the list. USMEF Africa Representative Matt Copeland focused on population and economic growth and reminded the audience that by 2050, one in four people in the world will be African. It will take time, says Copeland, but we can’t underestimate the importance of this economic evolution in Africa.
USMEF Latin America Representative Homero Recio addressed recent initiatives to develop new opportunities in South America, including a new product launch in Colombia. The new product with the most immediate potential in Colombia’s foodservice sector may be a pork burger derived from the Boston butt.
USMEF Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Director Sabrina Yin discussed the diversity of her region and its varying stages of market development, contrasting the highly developed market of Singapore with emerging markets such as Vietnam and Cambodia.
Yin explained that in several ASEAN markets, much of USMEF’s work is directed at overcoming technical barriers and working with the trade on supply chain development, capacity building and imaging U.S. product. Where possible, USMEF continues to utilize sampling programs for U.S. beef and pork toward growing retail shelf space. Yin described how USMEF is evolving to more of a business-to-business approach with promotions, utilizing sales contests for U.S. red meat with importers and distributors.
Producer insights from overseas
The previous day’s program featured a panel discussion titled Building Connections and Creating Opportunities, in which livestock producers shared firsthand experiences and insights from engaging with red meat buyers, consumers and government officials in overseas markets.
Randy Spronk, who served as USMEF chair over the past year, kicked off the discussion by recapping his first market visit to Japan 25 years ago, traveling with then-Gov. Jesse Ventura. He highlighted the U.S. pork industry’s success in developing the Japanese market while also expanding demand in other Asian markets and the Western Hemisphere.
“One of the biggest takeaways for me was that exports are not something that you do in six months or in 12 months,” said Spronk. “It’s a long-term strategy to continue to grow a market and to be present in that market.”
Cattlemen’s Beef Board member Ross Havens, a cattle producer from Iowa, appreciated seeing the popularity of products that have little demand in the U.S.
“Tongues are one of the top beef products we export to Japan,” said Havens. “Most people in the U.S. have no interest in trying beef tongue but in Japan, the way they cook it and prepare it, beef tongue is really delicious. It’s a great example of how international markets add value to the carcass. Shipping beef products to where somebody really values it is a great return on our Beef Checkoff investments.”
Don Pemberton, former president of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association and a participant in a Heartland Team tour of Korea and Japan in 2023, talked about his experience grilling steak for social media influencers in Tokyo and the great interest they showed in his technique. He also shared his surprise at how much attention he received upon his return to Kentucky.
“When I got back to Kentucky, I prepared a trip report and presentation for Kentucky Cattlemen and Kentucky Beef Council. And the next thing I knew, I was on a speaking tour around the state. Because I’d spent 48 hours in Seoul and 48 hours in Tokyo, I was now considered an expert on foreign trade,” laughed Pemberton.
While the panel freely shared their observations and insights with conference attendees, they also encouraged members to consider visiting an international market through a USMEF trade mission.
“My advice would be, take a trip. The intelligence that you pick up in the markets is a very valuable experience,” said Ruth. “The other thing is, and Don had talked about it, and Ross talked about it, is that our customers want to hear from you, the producer. The influence that you have is phenomenal, and your presence there really helps USMEF. It’s going to be valuable for you, and it will be valuable for our industry as well.”
USMEF members will next meet at the organization’s Spring Conference, May 21-23 in Fort Worth, TX. — USMEF
