USMEF To Use Beef Checkoff Funding For International Marketing Efforts in 2005...

Suggested Lead: The Beef Promotion Operating Committee met in Denver Sept. 23-24 to decide fiscal year 2005 funding levels for all beef checkoff programs. During its deliberations, it allocated more than $5.6 million to foreign marketing, managed for beef producers by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO, discussed the federation’s approach to international marketing after the interruption of trade caused by the discovery of a single animal with BSE in the United States …

He described the work going on in these markets today …

There is no doubt that the interruption in trade has cost the United States market share …

While the market in the U.S. remains good for beef producers, getting export trade flowing again will only add to potential profits, according to Seng …

Seng says USMEF is in an ideal position to help get products moving again …

The U.S. industry must realize that the current interruption in trade is likely to change the U.S. beef industry for years to come, according to Seng …

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and beef checkoff dollars are leveraged with funding from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and other sources to market U.S. beef through more than 16 offices and in more than 80 countries worldwide.

-- USMEF --