TOKYO – July 25, 2002 – Secretary of the United States Department of Agri...
TOKYO – July 25, 2002 – Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ann M. Veneman visited Akasaka Elementary School (Minato-ku, Tokyo) here today. The cooking school was organized by Akasaka Elementary School’s PTA and United States Meat Export Federation (USMEF), providing students and parents a memorable summer vacation and educating them on the positive attributes of American beef and pork.
Secretary Veneman made opening remarks to the students, explaining the food pyramid and the importance of a well-balanced diet. She said: “eating meat, beef, pork, is an important part of the protein part of your diet.” Secretary Veneman also demonstrated to the students how easy and fun it is to cook “Foil-baked Beef.”
To show her appreciation to Akasaka Elementary School’s PTA for hosting this wonderful opportunity for a cultural exchange, Secretary Veneman presented them with a memorable plaque, and a scenic picture book entitled, “America the Beautiful.” She said she has always wanted to address Japanese consumers on the benefits of American food, and thanks to the school PTA’s invitation she has finally been able to fulfill her wish.
USDA recently announced their plan to strengthen the children’s nutrition program by emphasizing education on children’s health and nutrition. Secretary Veneman is visiting Japan to meet with the agricultural ministers of Australia, Canada, the European Union and Japan at the Fifth Quint Agricultural Ministerial Meeting. She has taken time out of her busy schedule to visit with a local Japanese community as a cultural exchange and to share her knowledge on American beef and pork.
Japan is the No. 1 U.S. beef export market. USDA statistics for 2001 show U.S. exports to Japan declined 6 percent in volume from the record year of 2000, at 513,563 metric tons, while value was off 11 percent to about $1.6 billion. High U.S. beef prices and demand combined with a strong dollar against the yen and a weak Japanese economy to push U.S. imports lower prior to the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Japanese herd in September.
In 2001, according to revised USDA statistics, total U.S. beef exports declined in volume by .4 percent to 1.274 million metric tons, while value declined by 5.7 percent to $ 3.406 billion. Higher U.S. beef prices and a strong U.S. dollar helped push export volumes slightly lower for the first time in more than 10 years. Pork exports grew 21 percent in volume to more than 703,000 metric tons, while value grew 13 percent to nearly $1.6 billion. Exports now account for nearly 13.4 percent of U.S. beef production and more than 9.9 percent of U.S. pork production on a wholesale weight basis.
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 –
