Weekly USMEF Audio Report: USMEF Looks to Build on Growth of U.S. Beef, Pork Exports to Caribbean...

Dec. 28, 2009 - Despite a sluggish economy, the Caribbean region has been a strong performer for U.S. beef and pork exports in 2009. Through October, beef exports have held pace with last year while pork exports have increased by about 25 percent. Caribbean representative Elizabeth Wunderlich says USMEF has been tailoring its marketing strategies in the region to help retailers and foodservice operators cope with difficult economic conditions resulting in large part from an uncertain level of tourist activity. Wunderlich says that under these circumstances, it is important for retailers to maximize the number of stock keeping units (SKUs) they can derive from beef and pork inventories and for foodservice operators to have versatile cuts that can be utilized for a variety of menu items.

Wunderlich added that with support from the Texas Beef Council, USMEF is providing specialized training to Caribbean sales representatives so that they are better able to market alternative cuts of U.S. beef.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) 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 and soybean checkoff programs.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.