Industry Partnership Working to Build Demand for U.S. Lamb and Pork in Mexico

USMEF utilized its mobile grill and education program for a seminar and cooking workshop with clients of a U.S. red meat importer in Mexico. The effort focused on U.S. lamb and pork items that have market potential in Puebla, just south of Mexico City.

For the U.S. lamb industry, the event was a next step in market development efforts to grow its presence in Mexico. USMEF had previously hosted a daylong educational event in the Pacific coast city of Ensenada for member suppliers and Mexican importers which focused on U.S. lamb quality attributes, its competitive advantages and market opportunities. Among the participants that day was member supplier Superior Farms and Adams International, a major U.S. red meat importer with operations throughout Mexico. The companies are now working with USMEF to develop demand for a specific U.S. lamb cut in Puebla. 

“The U.S. lamb breast was identified as having market potential among high-end restaurants in Puebla,” said Lorenzo Elizalde, USMEF's director of marketing and trade. “So we conducted a seminar and cooking workshop for about 40 clients of Adams International, in which Chef Agustín Badaracco worked directly with them on how to prepare this U.S. lamb cut on the grill.”

The event was considered a success, Elizalde added, and a second workshop, exclusively for U.S. lamb, is being planned this fall with additional clients of Adams International.

Funding support was provided by the American Lamb Board and Indiana Soybean Alliance.