KANSAS CITY, MO. — The opening day of the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Spring Conference, held May 22 in Kansas City, Mo., emphasized that quality and consistency are key to expanding the international customer base for US red meat.

USMEF Chair Randy Spronk, pork and grain producer from Edgerton, Minn., kicked off the event with a reminder of the integral role free trade agreements (FTAs) play in creating global opportunities for the US meat industry.

“Would we have found success in South Korea if US beef was still tariffed at 40% and US pork at 25%?” Spronk asked. “Would we have been able to develop Central and South America, or the Dominican Republic, into reliable destinations for US red meat?"

Spronk also celebrated the market access gains achieved in the US-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement as well as the US-Japan Agreement.

Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and chief executive officer, followed up with an update on year-to-date export results for pork, beef and lamb.

Pork has seen an impressive year with exports, as the Mexico market continues to drive growth at a record pace. Several other regions have also supported US pork’s broad-based growth. In the first quarter, export value reached $2.1 billion and equated to more than $64 per hog slaughtered. March exports increased to an average of $71 per head.

March was also a great month for US beef export value, which equated to nearly $455 per head of fed slaughter. The first quarter average was $408, up 9% from a year ago, which Halstrom said was very encouraging.

“This tells me that the global consumer is willing to pay because they understand the value of US beef,” Halstrom said. “We’re different. We’re higher value, higher perception. US beef is not a commodity product, like a lot of our competitors. This is a key takeaway.” 

Guest speaker Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, echoed these sentiments. He explained how US beef competes for the consumer dollar, both domestically and internationally. 

“The biggest change in the beef industry has been quality,” Blach said. “And we can never lose sight of that. Our niche is grain-fed, high-quality beef that really nobody else can produce around the globe. Those of you who are producers in the room, you have also invested in genetics, and you have gotten paid dividends for those decisions.” 

Touching on herd rebuilding efforts, Blach noted that liquidation has definitely slowed, and herd size has stabilized. He cautioned that once expansion does materialize, it will not mirror the previous expansion cycle.

“The last cattle cycle saw the most rapid expansion in the history of our industry in 2014 and 2015,” he said. “This time I think we’ll get some expansion, but it's going to stretch out over a longer period of time.” 

Daniel Whitley, administrator of the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), presented resources available through the agency’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP). The program’s goal is to help US exporters expand their customer base beyond traditional and established markets, focusing on regions like Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Whitley noted that RAPP places a specific emphasis on Africa, which is projected to hold 25% of the world’s population by 2050. That same year, the planet’s total population is expected to reach 10 billion, which presents a major food production challenge. 

“There is no way — no way — that the global agricultural community will be able to solve the problem of feeding 10 billion people by the year 2050 if we don’t embrace science, technology and innovation,” Whitley said.

Kip Tom, former US ambassador to the United Nations for Food and Agriculture, also stressed the need to embrace production technologies, adding that US national security is dependent on food security.

“The innovation that has taken place in agriculture, whether it’s on the livestock side, or the grain side, or food processing — it’s something we need to be very proud of,” Tom said. “We oftentimes say that the US innovates, China replicates and the EU regulates. But we need to make sure we keep those in check, so that we can continue to innovate, grow our economy and grow this industry.”   

In addition to innovation, Tom believes the United States can differentiate itself through high quality products.

“When I look at Brazil, for example, and what they’re exporting in terms of animal proteins, what they’re doing in terms of exporting grains, the reality is, they’re mostly exporting commodities,” he said. “And this is where the real opportunity is for US agriculture — to make sure that we add value and ensure that we set ourselves apart in the global marketplace, to maintain and grow our markets.” 

The USMEF Spring Conference, which continues through May 24, will feature more conversations on differentiation, promotion and global strategy.