The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) brought a Russian pork processing tea...

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) brought a Russian pork processing team to the U.S. with funding provided by the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) in June, 2004. U.S. pork prices had hit exports to Russia of both pork muscle cuts and offal (see table below) and in response USMEF identified large pork purchasers and end users from Russia and the countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) with the potential to make sustained purchases of U.S. red meat, processed meat products, and variety meat. USMEF invited the companies to attend a U.S. buyers' tour to discuss future sales with several U.S. red meat packers and processed meat companies. In addition, it established important partnerships for the future and introduced the visitors to the U.S. system of livestock and meat production. The activities planned for the team all underlined the message of the profitability of U.S. pork, and the safety and reliability of the U.S. system. Experience in markets around the world has shown USMEF that international buyers are more likely to buy U.S. meat if they are familiar with the U.S. industry. USMEF has long recognized the importance of the Russia market for U.S. pork, opening an office in Moscow in 1992 and a St. Petersburgoffice in 1998.   Russia currently ranks as the eighth largest export destination for U.S. pork and pork variety meats.  Most USMEF efforts in Russia are focused on the huge processing industry. 

This project has a second phase in which USMEF will assist in retail promotions of U.S. red meats and processed meats. USMEF will help support in-store tasting and create point of purchase materials for the companies who begin to purchase U.S. red meats or processed meats as a result of the buyers’ tour. The retail promotions will assist USMEF with tracking U.S. sales and provide additional information to measure the success of the promotion.

USMEF projects steady growth through 2006 for U.S. exports of pork and pork variety meats.  The importance of U.S. pork exports has grown exponentially in the last few decades:

• U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports set tonnage and value records in 2003 — 757,905 metric tons —  valued at more than $1.58 billion.
• Meat from approximately 10 in 100 U.S. pigs is destined for the export market. In 1990, only 3 of 100 U.S. pigs were exported.
• The U.S. exports the equivalent of 18,000 pigs daily.
• 1 in every 5 pounds of pork traded in the world originates from the U.S.
• Japan, Mexico and Canada account for 77 percent of U.S. pork exports.
• During the past decade more than 2.6 billion bushels of corn and 290 million bushels of soybeans were utilized to produce $43 billion in U.S. red meat exports.

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, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –

U.S. Pork Exports To Russia

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

(Jan-April)

Pork Muscle Cuts

59,657

31,107

29,745

32,077

14,158

5,615

4,940

Pork Variety Meats

8,608

426

3,080

3,116

1,734

1,818

842

Total

59,657

31,107

29,745

32,077

15,892

7,433

5,782