Funding Workshops Gather Input from Pork, Beef Industry Stakeholders

Federation of State Beef Councils Chair Jennifer Houston and Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chair Jimmy Maxey address attendees at a funding workshop hosted by USMEF

This week USMEF hosted workshops examining the organization’s priorities for utilization of funding received from the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), Foreign Market Development (FMD) program and Emerging Markets Program. In early June, USMEF will submit its annual Unified Export Strategy (UES) – a detailed application for funds available under these programs – for Fiscal Year 2016 to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

“Our officers and staff felt that it would be very beneficial to hold these workshops so that USMEF could receive input on the UES preparation process from our key industry funding sources,” explained USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. “This allows them to not only help guide our spending priorities, but also to get a clearer picture of how the financial support we receive from the industry complements our USDA funding.”

Two full-day workshops examined marketing strategies and priorities for U.S. pork and U.S. beef based on each individual market’s import trends, growth potential, level of self-sufficiency in production, market access risk and reliability, presence of major competitors and other key factors. Participants included representatives of the National Pork Board, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, state pork organizations and state beef councils, as well as producers, packers, processors and traders who serve on the USMEF Executive Committee, Beef and Allied Industries Committee, Pork and Allied Industries Committee and Exporter Committee.

Greg Hanes, USMEF assistant VP for international marketing and programs, discusses funding priorities with leaders from several sectors of the pork industry

“USMEF always has a lot of ‘touch points’ with the industry throughout the year regarding our UES submission, but the unique thing about these workshops is that we brought together leaders from the entire supply chain,” explained USMEF Chair Leann Saunders. “This was a great way to get everyone’s perspectives on the international markets and to discuss those markets collectively and comprehensively. The workshops really gave them hands-on participation in the planning process, and the feedback has been very positive.”

Also participating in the workshops were Richard Battaglia, chief of the Livestock and Seafood Products Branch of the FAS Cooperator Programs Division, and Zack Henderson, the FAS marketing specialist assigned to USMEF. They provided attendees with an excellent overview of the funding application processes and evaluation procedures used by FAS, noting that USMEF consistently earns the highest ranking available among cooperators receiving FAS funding.

“USMEF has a great working relationship with FAS, and we really appreciate their participation this week,” Saunders said. “It was very beneficial for our members to hear firsthand from FAS about everything that goes into the funding application process and how the results are evaluated. At the same time, it’s important for FAS to see how the different sectors of our industry work together to establish priorities and determine the best use of our funding.”

More information on USMEF’s FY 2016 UES will be presented at the USMEF Board of Directors Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, May 20-22. Committee meetings at which the UES will be discussed in detail are scheduled for Thursday, May 21.