Suggested Lead: Those attending the International Livestock Congress in Denve...

Suggested Lead: Those attending the International Livestock Congress in Denver yesterday got an idea how difficult and important it is to be involved in the global beef marketplace.

Kevin Yost is executive vice president for customers and supply chain for Swift & Company, and was one of the panelists at the conference. He says market access is critical to his company, and to the entire U.S. beef industry.

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Yost says getting the playing field standardized across the globe would be a big help. Currently, the United States has different trade agreements with Japan and South Korea, for example.

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We are making progress, however.

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The first step, Yost believes, is getting back to where the U.S. beef industry was prior to December 2003.

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Approximately 200 people attended the International Livestock Congress conference, which was called Global Beef: Thinking Beyond the Fence. It was held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show taking place in Denverthis month. 

The U.S. Meat Export Federation 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, lamb, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –