Audio: Minnesota Pork and Soybean Interview

(Audio with David Preisler, executive director of the Minnesota Pork Board and Paul Simonsen, a board member of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and a member of the USMEF executive committee.)

When it comes to enhancing profitability in the Minnesota farming community, building U.S. meat exports is viewed as a critical component for success. That is a key reason why the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) enjoys support from a broad range of agricultural organizations in the state, including the Minnesota Pork Board, Minnesota Beef Council, Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council.

Recently, Minnesotapork and soybean producers were among the ag industry partners that helped fund a “Seven Premium” promotion of U.S. pork products in Japan. The promotion marked the first time that a major Japanese retail company - Seven and i Holdings, the parent company of both Ito Yokado and 7-Eleven in Japan - took the unprecedented step of identifying U.S. pork on the packaging of three of the store-branded, processed-pork products featured among its deli items.

This is exactly the kind of innovative promotion that has helped make Japan the #1 value destination for U.S. pork, said David Preisler, executive director of the Minnesota Pork Board.

Audio Link:

Preisler Audio Clip #1:              :24        Outcue: “…whenever we can.” 

Preisler added that pork producers greatly appreciate the cooperation and support received from other sectors of agriculture in promoting meat exports.

Preisler Audio Clip #2:              :15        Outcue: “…work with them on that.” 

This type of partnership makes great financial sense for soybean growers, says Paul Simonsen of Fairfax, Minn., a board member of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council who also serves on  the USMEF executive committee.

Simonsen Audio Clip #1:          :15        Outcue: “…investment in our checkoff.” 

Simonsen has seen first-hand the success U.S pork is enjoying in Japan, and he is confident of the potential for further growth.

Simonsen Audio Clip #2:          :27        Outcue: “…even more over there.”