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Nebraska Beef, Corn Producers Help Showcase U.S. Beef in Taipei

Published: Jun 14, 2010

Nebraska Beef, Corn Producers Help Showcase U.S. Beef in Taipei

To create more opportunities for U.S. beef in Taiwan’s foodservice sector, USMEF collaborated with the Ambassador Hotel for the “Nebraska Beef Gourmet Festival,” held June 3 in Taipei. The event, made possible through checkoff support from the Nebraska Beef Council and Nebraska Corn Board, featured a diverse range of items showcasing the quality and versatility of U.S. beef. A team of chefs from Western-style and Chinese restaurants prepared more than 20 mouth-watering dishes using tenderloin, striploin, ribeye, rib fingers, chuck eye roll, heel muscle and bone-in short ribs.

With more than 25 news outlets in attendance, the program began with a video outlining the storied history of Nebraska’s corn-fed beef industry, including footage of the farmers, ranchers and cattle feeders who work together to produce some of the world’s finest beef cuts. Two famous television hosts from one of Taiwan’s most popular gourmet shows also participated in the opening presentation, which contributed to the strong media interest.

Numerous media outlets gather footage as a guest chef provides beef preparation tips at the Nebraska Beef Gourmet Festival in Taipei

“This is the first collaboration between USMEF and the Ambassador Hotel, and it has been a great success,” said Davis Wu, USMEF Taiwan director. “Through the creative U.S. beef dishes developed by the chefs, the efforts of the USMEF and Ambassador Hotel marketing teams and the fantastic support from our industry partners in Nebraska, this event will amaze consumers with the flavor and quality of U.S. beef.”

Interest was also bolstered by a unique consumer contest, which will run through June 30. Consumers have an opportunity to win a free night of accommodation in one of the Ambassador Hotel’s luxury rooms. Contestants shoot a three-minute video in which they identify their favorite U.S. beef dish and explain the reasons behind their choice. Then they upload the video to YouTube and place the link on the Ambassador Hotel’s Facebook page. The hotel will calculate the total number of hits each video gets, which will be one of the criteria used to select the winner.

A wide variety of Chinese and Western-style dishes was showcased at the festival

“Taiwan has become a very important market for Nebraska beef producers, and even more so now that we have gained access for a wider range of cuts,” said Ann Marie Bosshamer, executive director of the Nebraska Beef Council. “So we see this event as a great way to build further momentum in the market.”

Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, agreed.

“This is one of several Asian markets in which demand for Nebraska beef has really taken off this year,” he said. “When we can help our state’s beef industry succeed in these key markets, that’s a home run for our corn producers.”

U.S. beef exports to Taiwan have set new value records in each of the past five years, and this trend is likely to continue. Through April, this year’s exports to Taiwan totaled 11,533 metric tons (25.4 million pounds) valued at more than $60 million. This is an increase of 69 percent in volume and 79 percent in value over January-April 2009.

# # #

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.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

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.

Nebraska Beef, Corn Producers Help Showcase U.S. Beef in Taipei

To create more opportunities for U.S. beef in Taiwan’s foodservice sector, USMEF collaborated with the Ambassador Hotel for the “Nebraska Beef Gourmet Festival,” held June 3 in Taipei. The event, made possible through checkoff support from the Nebraska Beef Council and Nebraska Corn Board, featured a diverse range of items showcasing the quality and versatility of U.S. beef. A team of chefs from Western-style and Chinese restaurants prepared more than 20 mouth-watering dishes using tenderloin, striploin, ribeye, rib fingers, chuck eye roll, heel muscle and bone-in short ribs.

With more than 25 news outlets in attendance, the program began with a video outlining the storied history of Nebraska’s corn-fed beef industry, including footage of the farmers, ranchers and cattle feeders who work together to produce some of the world’s finest beef cuts. Two famous television hosts from one of Taiwan’s most popular gourmet shows also participated in the opening presentation, which contributed to the strong media interest.

Numerous media outlets gather footage as a guest chef provides beef preparation tips at the Nebraska Beef Gourmet Festival in Taipei

“This is the first collaboration between USMEF and the Ambassador Hotel, and it has been a great success,” said Davis Wu, USMEF Taiwan director. “Through the creative U.S. beef dishes developed by the chefs, the efforts of the USMEF and Ambassador Hotel marketing teams and the fantastic support from our industry partners in Nebraska, this event will amaze consumers with the flavor and quality of U.S. beef.”

Interest was also bolstered by a unique consumer contest, which will run through June 30. Consumers have an opportunity to win a free night of accommodation in one of the Ambassador Hotel’s luxury rooms. Contestants shoot a three-minute video in which they identify their favorite U.S. beef dish and explain the reasons behind their choice. Then they upload the video to YouTube and place the link on the Ambassador Hotel’s Facebook page. The hotel will calculate the total number of hits each video gets, which will be one of the criteria used to select the winner.

A wide variety of Chinese and Western-style dishes was showcased at the festival

“Taiwan has become a very important market for Nebraska beef producers, and even more so now that we have gained access for a wider range of cuts,” said Ann Marie Bosshamer, executive director of the Nebraska Beef Council. “So we see this event as a great way to build further momentum in the market.”

Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, agreed.

“This is one of several Asian markets in which demand for Nebraska beef has really taken off this year,” he said. “When we can help our state’s beef industry succeed in these key markets, that’s a home run for our corn producers.”

U.S. beef exports to Taiwan have set new value records in each of the past five years, and this trend is likely to continue. Through April, this year’s exports to Taiwan totaled 11,533 metric tons (25.4 million pounds) valued at more than $60 million. This is an increase of 69 percent in volume and 79 percent in value over January-April 2009.

# # #

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.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

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.