Nebraska Ag Leaders Host China Meat Buyers

Nebraska Ag Leaders Host China Meat Buyers

The Nebraska Corn Board and other Nebraska agricultural leaders hosted a group of meat buyers from China this week as part of a five-day educational tour coordinated by USMEF. The delegation began its tour Monday in Sioux City, Iowa, with a tour of the John Morrell pork plant, then traveled to Pilger, Neb., to visit the feedlot operated by Alexander Cattle & Farms. The following day, the group toured the Tyson beef plant in Dakota City, Neb., and Tyson’s pork plant in Storm Lake, Iowa.

After a Wednesday morning tour of the Cargill beef plant in Schuyler, Neb., the University of Nebraska Animal Science Complex hosted the group for a cutting demonstration of various pork and beef cuts as well as an educational session on recent advancements in product quality.

Following its university visit, the delegation sampled some of Nebraska’s finest pork and beef offerings at a reception sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board and attended by representatives of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Pork Producers, the Nebraska Beef Council, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation and the Nebraska Cattlemen.

USMEF Executive Committee member Mark Jagels

Mark Jagels of Davenport, Neb., a Nebraska Corn Board director and member of the USMEF executive committee, welcomed the group to the Lodge at Wilderness Ridge, the special events venue at Lincoln’s Wilderness Ridge Golf Club. A menu of petit filet mignon and pecan-crusted pork ribeye was prepared by the restaurant’s award-winning chef, Lane Rosenberry, and enjoyed by all of the evening’s guests.

“Our guests from China were very knowledgeable, very interested in our products, and extremely   appreciative of what they saw on the farms and at the processing facilities,” Jagels said. “They also spoke very highly of the cutting demonstration and the information presented at the University of Nebraska.”

Jagels added that the tour and reception offered a great opportunity to showcase Nebraska agriculture to a very important constituency. While China is not presently open to U.S. beef, he is hopeful U.S. pork exports will help pave the way for successful beef trade with China.

“The China/Hong Kong region was second only to Japan for pork exports last year, so we’re very proud of the success we’ve achieved there,” Jagels said. “We also had the opportunity to discuss the prospects for getting U.S. beef back into China, and everyone involved with this event was very excited about the potential this market holds for beef exports.”

 

Nebraska Corn Board representatives play host to the China meat buyers delegation. Pictured with the group are Nebraska Corn Board directors David Nielsen (far left) and Mark Jagels (back row, far right), Executive Director Don Hutchens (front row, far right), Business Manager Janet Miller (front row, far left) and USMEF China Programs Manager John Lam (front row, third from right).    

For Jagels, the opportunity to meet face-to-face with overseas customers was a vivid reminder of the important role meat exports serve for feedgrain producers.

“As a corn and soybean producer, pork and beef exports are very important to me,” he said. “I want to add value to every bushel I grow, and one of the best ways to do that is to export red meat. USMEF’s efforts in solidifying markets and opening new markets for pork and beef are very much appreciated. The results we are seeing and the market intelligence we receive are just tremendous.”

The Chinese delegation continued its tour of processing facilities on Thursday at the JBS beef plant in Grand Island, Neb., and Friday at the Farmland pork plant in Crete, Neb.

# # #

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 and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.

Nebraska Ag Leaders Host China Meat Buyers

The Nebraska Corn Board and other Nebraska agricultural leaders hosted a group of meat buyers from China this week as part of a five-day educational tour coordinated by USMEF. The delegation began its tour Monday in Sioux City, Iowa, with a tour of the John Morrell pork plant, then traveled to Pilger, Neb., to visit the feedlot operated by Alexander Cattle & Farms. The following day, the group toured the Tyson beef plant in Dakota City, Neb., and Tyson’s pork plant in Storm Lake, Iowa.

After a Wednesday morning tour of the Cargill beef plant in Schuyler, Neb., the University of Nebraska Animal Science Complex hosted the group for a cutting demonstration of various pork and beef cuts as well as an educational session on recent advancements in product quality.

Following its university visit, the delegation sampled some of Nebraska’s finest pork and beef offerings at a reception sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board and attended by representatives of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Pork Producers, the Nebraska Beef Council, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation and the Nebraska Cattlemen.

USMEF Executive Committee member Mark Jagels

Mark Jagels of Davenport, Neb., a Nebraska Corn Board director and member of the USMEF executive committee, welcomed the group to the Lodge at Wilderness Ridge, the special events venue at Lincoln’s Wilderness Ridge Golf Club. A menu of petit filet mignon and pecan-crusted pork ribeye was prepared by the restaurant’s award-winning chef, Lane Rosenberry, and enjoyed by all of the evening’s guests.

“Our guests from China were very knowledgeable, very interested in our products, and extremely   appreciative of what they saw on the farms and at the processing facilities,” Jagels said. “They also spoke very highly of the cutting demonstration and the information presented at the University of Nebraska.”

Jagels added that the tour and reception offered a great opportunity to showcase Nebraska agriculture to a very important constituency. While China is not presently open to U.S. beef, he is hopeful U.S. pork exports will help pave the way for successful beef trade with China.

“The China/Hong Kong region was second only to Japan for pork exports last year, so we’re very proud of the success we’ve achieved there,” Jagels said. “We also had the opportunity to discuss the prospects for getting U.S. beef back into China, and everyone involved with this event was very excited about the potential this market holds for beef exports.”

 

Nebraska Corn Board representatives play host to the China meat buyers delegation. Pictured with the group are Nebraska Corn Board directors David Nielsen (far left) and Mark Jagels (back row, far right), Executive Director Don Hutchens (front row, far right), Business Manager Janet Miller (front row, far left) and USMEF China Programs Manager John Lam (front row, third from right).    

For Jagels, the opportunity to meet face-to-face with overseas customers was a vivid reminder of the important role meat exports serve for feedgrain producers.

“As a corn and soybean producer, pork and beef exports are very important to me,” he said. “I want to add value to every bushel I grow, and one of the best ways to do that is to export red meat. USMEF’s efforts in solidifying markets and opening new markets for pork and beef are very much appreciated. The results we are seeing and the market intelligence we receive are just tremendous.”

The Chinese delegation continued its tour of processing facilities on Thursday at the JBS beef plant in Grand Island, Neb., and Friday at the Farmland pork plant in Crete, Neb.

# # #

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 and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.