For U.S. Red Meat, Positive Signs Emerging in Key Asian Markets

Since January, the coronavirus pandemic has created significant challenges for the food industry in Asia, with in-restaurant dining suspended in some countries for several weeks. But demand for pork and beef has proven resilient at the retail level, with supermarket sales remaining very strong and consumers greatly increasing their use of e-commerce platforms and delivery services. While the restaurant sector still faces a long recovery, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom says it is showing strong signs of improvement, with more workers returning to a normal routine and restaurant traffic beginning to rebound.

Halstrom adds that the impact of African swine fever (ASF) is still being felt across the globe, heightening the need for high-quality protein. He notes that with the U.S. red meat industry in a period of record-large production, it is especially well-positioned to fill this need.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations. USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law. USMEF is an equal opportunity employer and provider.