USMEF-Mexico Provides Pork Training for Walmart Meat Buyers

USMEF-Mexico recently conducted a training and education program for three of Walmart-Mexico’s meat purchasing managers highlighting the positive attributes and characteristics of U.S. pork. The three meat buyers attended the Pork 101 training course at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., accompanied by Javier Garcia, USMEF retail manager for Mexico.

Pork 101 is a comprehensive course that includes an explanation of market trends, suggestions for increasing meat yield, and sales tools that can help retailers more effectively merchandise and promote U.S. pork. The objective was to educate these key managers, who purchase pork for Mexico’s largest retail chain, about the benefits of U.S. pork and the positive impact these products can have on Walmart’s meat sales.

“Following the Pork 101 training, we were very encouraged by the increased interest shown by the Walmart participants in finding mutually beneficial ways that they can work with USMEF to meet the needs of the Mexican consumer,” said Chad Russell, USMEF regional director for Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Central America. “In addition to educating these key buyers about U.S. pork, the program also provided an excellent opportunity to build commercial relationships with these individuals and explore new ways that we can work together.”

Through September, Mexico is the largest international market for U.S. pork in terms of volume, with pork plus pork variety meat exports totaling nearly 370,000 metric tons (814.3 million pounds) valued at $547.7 million. This is a 38 percent increase in volume and a 15 percent increase in value over the first three quarters of 2008.

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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.

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.

USMEF-Mexico recently conducted a training and education program for three of Walmart-Mexico’s meat purchasing managers highlighting the positive attributes and characteristics of U.S. pork. The three meat buyers attended the Pork 101 training course at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., accompanied by Javier Garcia, USMEF retail manager for Mexico.

Pork 101 is a comprehensive course that includes an explanation of market trends, suggestions for increasing meat yield, and sales tools that can help retailers more effectively merchandise and promote U.S. pork. The objective was to educate these key managers, who purchase pork for Mexico’s largest retail chain, about the benefits of U.S. pork and the positive impact these products can have on Walmart’s meat sales.

“Following the Pork 101 training, we were very encouraged by the increased interest shown by the Walmart participants in finding mutually beneficial ways that they can work with USMEF to meet the needs of the Mexican consumer,” said Chad Russell, USMEF regional director for Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Central America. “In addition to educating these key buyers about U.S. pork, the program also provided an excellent opportunity to build commercial relationships with these individuals and explore new ways that we can work together.”

Through September, Mexico is the largest international market for U.S. pork in terms of volume, with pork plus pork variety meat exports totaling nearly 370,000 metric tons (814.3 million pounds) valued at $547.7 million. This is a 38 percent increase in volume and a 15 percent increase in value over the first three quarters of 2008.

# # #

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.

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.