Kansas Corn Commission Leadership Reports in from Asia

Kansas Corn Commission Leadership Reports in from Asia

Leaders of the Kansas Corn Commission (KCC) have arrived in Japan for an opportunity to observe the retail and foodservice performance of U.S. beef and pork products in this critical export market. Commissioners Brian Baalman of Menlo, Ken McCauley of White Cloud and Bob Timmons of Fredonia are joined on the trip by KCC Executive Director Jere White, USMEF Vice Chairman Keith Miller of Great Bend, and farm broadcaster Greg Akagi of the Kansas Agriculture Network. They are making a similar visit to South Korea later in the week.

In a telephone interview from Tokyo, Miller says the group is very pleased with the promotional activity and sales results they have had the opportunity to view so far.

“Our first day here we visited two national supermarket chains, and USMEF was doing beef promotions in both chains at the time,” Miller said. “People were standing in line waiting for samples to be cooked, and many of them also purchased our product. It was extremely successful.”

Leaders of the Kansas Corn Commission observe a U.S. beef promotion at a Daiei supermarket in Tokyo. Pictured left to right: USMEF Japan Director Greg Hanes, Daiei Chief Merchandiser Akira Kuroda, Commissioner Brian Baalman, Daiei store manager Takayuki Aida, USMEF Vice Chairman Keith Miller, Commissioner Ken McCauley, Commissioner Bob Timmons, Executive Director Jere White and farm broadcaster Greg Akagi, Kansas Agriculture Network

While the U.S. exported nearly $400 million of beef to Japan last year and exports are expected to continue to expand this year, Miller noted that the biggest concern Japan’s store managers have expressed regarding U.S. beef is their ability to acquire and maintain a sufficient year-round supply. U.S. beef exports to Japan are currently limited to beef from cattle less than 21 months of age.

“The managers were telling us about the difficulty they have getting the product. They can’t get near as much as they want,” he said. “As long as we have that age restriction in place, there’s just not enough supply to meet consumer demand in Japan.”   

In addition to meeting with key importers and distributors, team members visited the largest cold storage facility in Japan and were impressed to see the amount of U.S. beef currently entering the country. They were able to see chilled products, including outside skirt which commands a price of more than $6.00 per pound in Japan, arriving from several Kansas plants as well as many other plants across the United States.

Japan is currently the top destination for U.S. pork, and Miller said there is strong evidence of that status in the retail establishments visited by the Kansas group.

“It’s really reassuring to see the amount of pork we are moving,” he said. “A large percentage of the pork products in the meat case are U.S. pork, and it’s amazing to see how many consumers here in Japan are buying and enjoying our pork.”

Seeing these results up close is important to the leadership of the KCC, and provides them with excellent information to share with their fellow farmers and ranchers back home.

“The Kansas Corn Commission is a longtime member of USMEF and has been a very strong supporter of our organization,” Miller said. “They want livestock producers across the United States to understand that the KCC is a strong partner with them in producing a quality product to be shipped overseas.”

Miller also noted the two-way benefit of U.S. farmers visiting the Asian markets. Not only do they have the opportunity to observe the overseas performance of U.S. meat exports, but it also allows Asian consumers to see the personal nature of U.S. agriculture.

“In the foreign markets, the farmer is considered to be a person consumers can trust, and one of the reasons we are over here is to help further build that trust,” he said.

Kansas Corn Commission Leadership Reports in from Asia

Leaders of the Kansas Corn Commission (KCC) have arrived in Japan for an opportunity to observe the retail and foodservice performance of U.S. beef and pork products in this critical export market. Commissioners Brian Baalman of Menlo, Ken McCauley of White Cloud and Bob Timmons of Fredonia are joined on the trip by KCC Executive Director Jere White, USMEF Vice Chairman Keith Miller of Great Bend, and farm broadcaster Greg Akagi of the Kansas Agriculture Network. They are making a similar visit to South Korea later in the week.

In a telephone interview from Tokyo, Miller says the group is very pleased with the promotional activity and sales results they have had the opportunity to view so far.

“Our first day here we visited two national supermarket chains, and USMEF was doing beef promotions in both chains at the time,” Miller said. “People were standing in line waiting for samples to be cooked, and many of them also purchased our product. It was extremely successful.”

Leaders of the Kansas Corn Commission observe a U.S. beef promotion at a Daiei supermarket in Tokyo. Pictured left to right: USMEF Japan Director Greg Hanes, Daiei Chief Merchandiser Akira Kuroda, Commissioner Brian Baalman, Daiei store manager Takayuki Aida, USMEF Vice Chairman Keith Miller, Commissioner Ken McCauley, Commissioner Bob Timmons, Executive Director Jere White and farm broadcaster Greg Akagi, Kansas Agriculture Network

While the U.S. exported nearly $400 million of beef to Japan last year and exports are expected to continue to expand this year, Miller noted that the biggest concern Japan’s store managers have expressed regarding U.S. beef is their ability to acquire and maintain a sufficient year-round supply. U.S. beef exports to Japan are currently limited to beef from cattle less than 21 months of age.

“The managers were telling us about the difficulty they have getting the product. They can’t get near as much as they want,” he said. “As long as we have that age restriction in place, there’s just not enough supply to meet consumer demand in Japan.”   

In addition to meeting with key importers and distributors, team members visited the largest cold storage facility in Japan and were impressed to see the amount of U.S. beef currently entering the country. They were able to see chilled products, including outside skirt which commands a price of more than $6.00 per pound in Japan, arriving from several Kansas plants as well as many other plants across the United States.

Japan is currently the top destination for U.S. pork, and Miller said there is strong evidence of that status in the retail establishments visited by the Kansas group.

“It’s really reassuring to see the amount of pork we are moving,” he said. “A large percentage of the pork products in the meat case are U.S. pork, and it’s amazing to see how many consumers here in Japan are buying and enjoying our pork.”

Seeing these results up close is important to the leadership of the KCC, and provides them with excellent information to share with their fellow farmers and ranchers back home.

“The Kansas Corn Commission is a longtime member of USMEF and has been a very strong supporter of our organization,” Miller said. “They want livestock producers across the United States to understand that the KCC is a strong partner with them in producing a quality product to be shipped overseas.”

Miller also noted the two-way benefit of U.S. farmers visiting the Asian markets. Not only do they have the opportunity to observe the overseas performance of U.S. meat exports, but it also allows Asian consumers to see the personal nature of U.S. agriculture.

“In the foreign markets, the farmer is considered to be a person consumers can trust, and one of the reasons we are over here is to help further build that trust,” he said.