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US Prime Beef Showcased in Jakarta

Published: Jun 23, 2010

US Prime Beef Showcased in Jakarta

To capitalize on growth opportunities for U.S. Beef in Indonesia, USMEF-ASEAN recently held a seminar entitled Explore the Taste of U.S. Meat with Jay McCarthy at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta. The seminar was supported by the Beef Checkoff Program and organized in conjunction with PT Indoguna, a major importer of U.S. meat into Indonesia.

The two-day event included cooking demonstrations by Jay McCarthy, an award-winning chef and restaurateur whose career has spanned more than 30 years. Featured beef cuts included chuck tender, chuck flap tail, chuck under blade, tri-tip roast, and hanger steak. USDA Prime grade ribeye, striploin and tenderloin were also available for participants to sample.

Reporters and bloggers gather footage at the USMEF media event in Jakarta, Indonesia

USMEF emphasized Prime grade beef because of the increasing demand for high-quality beef among Indonesia’s 240 million residents – the world’s fourth largest population (behind China, India and the United States) and Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Australian Wagyu beef has been gaining popularity in Indonesia, but is priced much higher than high-quality U.S. beef. Seminar participants were very impressed with U.S. beef as an alternative to Australian Wagyu that can be enjoyed on a more regular basis without compromising quality.

Dennis Voboril, agriculture counselor for FAS/Jakarta delivered welcoming remarks to open the event. USMEF-ASEAN Director Sabrina Yin provided an overview of the U.S. beef industry, which included the video The American Meat Tradition.

“There is tremendous growth potential for U.S. beef in Indonesia, as evidenced by its growing appetite for high-quality cuts,” said Yin. “This seminar gave us an opportunity to showcase delicious USDA Prime cuts that are very attractively priced compared to Wagyu.”

A media lunch was held the following day at the Just Steak restaurant in Jakarta, with 18 reporters, editors and bloggers attending from 11 local media outlets. Participants enjoyed cooking demonstrations with Chef McCarthy and a lunch featuring U.S. tenderloin, hanger steak and chuck under blade. The Beef Checkoff Program provided U.S. beef brochures and meat cut charts to assist media in constructing their articles and news reports.

Through April, U.S. beef/beef variety meat exports to Indonesia have achieved a six-fold increase over the same period in 2009, reaching 2,741 metric tons (more than 6 million pounds) valued at $5.7 million.

Opportunities for U.S. pork are much more limited in Indonesia due to its large Muslim population. However, Pork Checkoff-funded product information and cut charts were provided at both the culinary seminar and the media event.

“With Indonesia’s growing economy, the population has become a bit more diverse in some areas,” Yin said. “So we may see more opportunities for U.S. pork than in years past, and these events offer us an opportunity to capitalize on that interest.”

# # #

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.

US Prime Beef Showcased in Jakarta

To capitalize on growth opportunities for U.S. Beef in Indonesia, USMEF-ASEAN recently held a seminar entitled Explore the Taste of U.S. Meat with Jay McCarthy at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta. The seminar was supported by the Beef Checkoff Program and organized in conjunction with PT Indoguna, a major importer of U.S. meat into Indonesia.

The two-day event included cooking demonstrations by Jay McCarthy, an award-winning chef and restaurateur whose career has spanned more than 30 years. Featured beef cuts included chuck tender, chuck flap tail, chuck under blade, tri-tip roast, and hanger steak. USDA Prime grade ribeye, striploin and tenderloin were also available for participants to sample.

Reporters and bloggers gather footage at the USMEF media event in Jakarta, Indonesia

USMEF emphasized Prime grade beef because of the increasing demand for high-quality beef among Indonesia’s 240 million residents – the world’s fourth largest population (behind China, India and the United States) and Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Australian Wagyu beef has been gaining popularity in Indonesia, but is priced much higher than high-quality U.S. beef. Seminar participants were very impressed with U.S. beef as an alternative to Australian Wagyu that can be enjoyed on a more regular basis without compromising quality.

Dennis Voboril, agriculture counselor for FAS/Jakarta delivered welcoming remarks to open the event. USMEF-ASEAN Director Sabrina Yin provided an overview of the U.S. beef industry, which included the video The American Meat Tradition.

“There is tremendous growth potential for U.S. beef in Indonesia, as evidenced by its growing appetite for high-quality cuts,” said Yin. “This seminar gave us an opportunity to showcase delicious USDA Prime cuts that are very attractively priced compared to Wagyu.”

A media lunch was held the following day at the Just Steak restaurant in Jakarta, with 18 reporters, editors and bloggers attending from 11 local media outlets. Participants enjoyed cooking demonstrations with Chef McCarthy and a lunch featuring U.S. tenderloin, hanger steak and chuck under blade. The Beef Checkoff Program provided U.S. beef brochures and meat cut charts to assist media in constructing their articles and news reports.

Through April, U.S. beef/beef variety meat exports to Indonesia have achieved a six-fold increase over the same period in 2009, reaching 2,741 metric tons (more than 6 million pounds) valued at $5.7 million.

Opportunities for U.S. pork are much more limited in Indonesia due to its large Muslim population. However, Pork Checkoff-funded product information and cut charts were provided at both the culinary seminar and the media event.

“With Indonesia’s growing economy, the population has become a bit more diverse in some areas,” Yin said. “So we may see more opportunities for U.S. pork than in years past, and these events offer us an opportunity to capitalize on that interest.”

# # #

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.