Audio: Producer Team in Japan to Observe Marketing Activities, Recovery Effort
Published: Jul 08, 2013
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is hosting a contingent of U.S. beef, pork, soybean and corn producers in Japan this week for a firsthand look at specific marketing activities for U.S. beef and pork. Greg Hanes, USMEF assistant vice president for international marketing, explains that beef exports to Japan have been especially robust since the February regulatory change that made beef from U.S. cattle up to 30 months of age (rather than 21 months) eligible for this market. Hanes adds, however, that Japan is easily the largest value market for U.S. pork exports, and these producers will have an opportunity to see how U.S. pork products – including many branded products – have gained traction with Japanese consumers. Meetings are scheduled with importers, distributors, retailers and others in Japan’s food trade to illustrate how funding from producer checkoff programs, combined with USDA Market Access Program (MAP) funds and promotional funds from companies within the market, help grow demand for U.S. beef and pork.
The state and national producer organizations represented by this group were also active in raising relief funds to help families in the Sendai region of Japan who were displaced by the tragic earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Some of the producers involved in leading this effort will have now an opportunity to visit the region, observe the area’s rebuilding effort and learn more details about the role U.S. agricultural organizations played in the region’s recovery.
The delegation includes producers from Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Idaho, Ohio, Oregon and Arkansas.
TRANSCRIPT:
JOE SCHUELE: The U.S. Meat Export Federation is hosting a contingent of U.S. beef, pork, soybean and corn producers in Japan this week, for a first-hand look at specific marketing activities for U.S. beef and pork. Greg Hanes, USMEF assistant vice president for international marketing has more details.
GREG HANES: This is probably one of the most diverse teams we have had go to one of the markets. We have over thirty people going over there, from state corn groups, soy groups, beef, pork, some of the national organizations are represented as well. So, one thing that the teams are really going to be able to see is the activities that they have helped to support, and I think that is key, because these groups have been the big supporters of USMEF programs. What this does is give them the chance to really get into the market, see how their funding is used, how it is leveraged with other funding USMEF receives such as the MAP program, then expand it even further with the contributions from the target accounts that we are working with. So they see that whole picture and the full benefit of the programs that they are supporting.
JOE SCHUELE: Organizations represented by this group were also active in raising relief funds for families in the Sendai region who were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Hanes says some of the producers will now have the opportunity to see how their contributions have helped the areas recovery effort.
GREG HANES: After the earthquake and tsunami the industry really stepped forward and helped contribute a lot of funding to feed and support the people that lost their homes and lost their families there. So some of these group will now get a chance to go to that Sendai area and revisit some of the places that had been hard hit by the tsunami and also see how things have developed and how they are progressing and now how business is rebounding and as a result of all the donations and support from the industry, U.S. products are really taking off there and have kind of, I think a special place in the hearts of the buyers and consumers there.
JOE SCHUELE: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit USMEF.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.
The state and national producer organizations represented by this group were also active in raising relief funds to help families in the Sendai region of Japan who were displaced by the tragic earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Some of the producers involved in leading this effort will have now an opportunity to visit the region, observe the area’s rebuilding effort and learn more details about the role U.S. agricultural organizations played in the region’s recovery.
The delegation includes producers from Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Idaho, Ohio, Oregon and Arkansas.
TRANSCRIPT:
JOE SCHUELE: The U.S. Meat Export Federation is hosting a contingent of U.S. beef, pork, soybean and corn producers in Japan this week, for a first-hand look at specific marketing activities for U.S. beef and pork. Greg Hanes, USMEF assistant vice president for international marketing has more details.
GREG HANES: This is probably one of the most diverse teams we have had go to one of the markets. We have over thirty people going over there, from state corn groups, soy groups, beef, pork, some of the national organizations are represented as well. So, one thing that the teams are really going to be able to see is the activities that they have helped to support, and I think that is key, because these groups have been the big supporters of USMEF programs. What this does is give them the chance to really get into the market, see how their funding is used, how it is leveraged with other funding USMEF receives such as the MAP program, then expand it even further with the contributions from the target accounts that we are working with. So they see that whole picture and the full benefit of the programs that they are supporting.
JOE SCHUELE: Organizations represented by this group were also active in raising relief funds for families in the Sendai region who were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Hanes says some of the producers will now have the opportunity to see how their contributions have helped the areas recovery effort.
GREG HANES: After the earthquake and tsunami the industry really stepped forward and helped contribute a lot of funding to feed and support the people that lost their homes and lost their families there. So some of these group will now get a chance to go to that Sendai area and revisit some of the places that had been hard hit by the tsunami and also see how things have developed and how they are progressing and now how business is rebounding and as a result of all the donations and support from the industry, U.S. products are really taking off there and have kind of, I think a special place in the hearts of the buyers and consumers there.
JOE SCHUELE: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit USMEF.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.