News & Events | Partnerships Key to Market Development Efforts for U.S. Pork Loin in Peru

U.S. industry partnerships are behind a U.S. pork loin initiative with a major importer in Peru. Critical to the success of this initiative were technical cutting demonstrations performed for importers last year by Dr. David Newman, senior vice president for market growth for the National Pork Board (NPB) and a past member of USMEF’s executive committee.

During a USMEF-led, NPB team visit last year, Dr. Newman conducted a pork fabrication seminar for Peruvian importers to demonstrate new ideas for maximizing the value of the U.S. loin, spareribs and ham. Dr. Newman also provided a cutting demonstration at the plant of Peru’s largest U.S. pork importer, Halema, where he showed its butchers new ideas for merchandising the loin.

“Halema has distribution centers in several cities and sells to foodservice and retail customers nationwide. Halema also has one retail outlet in Lima, which it utilizes as a showroom to demonstrate new product, merchandising, marketing and sales ideas for its customers,” says Jessica Julca, USMEF South America representative.

Dr. David Newman, senior VP of market growth for the National Pork Board, conducted a training session at Halema’s plant in Lima to demonstrate new merchandising ideas for the U.S. pork loin.

USMEF ambassadors staffed Halema’s flagship store to provide specially developed samples of U.S. loin and ham during the monthlong promotion.

Based on a recommendation from NPB during a visit to its plant last year, Halema recently upgraded its vacuum-packaging equipment for a better presentation of U.S. pork cuts, which encouraged USMEF to suggest a U.S. pork promotion at its store. Promotional funding was provided by Indiana Soybean Alliance.

For the monthlong promotion, USMEF-trained ambassadors provided in-store training to staff about the quality attributes of the featured cuts and details of the promotion. The ambassadors also developed new recipes with the loin and ham for sampling with store customers.

Consumers purchasing U.S. pork during the month-long promotion were entered to win a barbecue grill. U.S. pork recipes were also promoted on in-store videos and were available where consumers entered to win.

“We showed Halema’s customers that effective merchandising and promotion of a high-quality product such as U.S. pork will develop consumer demand and lead to greater sales,” Julca added.