Audio: Meat Industry's Optimistic Outlook Impresses USMEF Chair

While U.S. meat exports face imposing challenges in 2015, this hasn’t dampened the industry’s enthusiasm for international marketing, says U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Chair Leann Saunders.

Saunders, of Castle Rock, Colorado, is president of Where Food Comes From, a leading agricultural and food verification and certification company. In the attached audio report, she offers observations from the USMEF Board of Directors Meeting, which concluded Friday in San Antonio, Texas.

While red meat exports endured a difficult first quarter this year, Saunders said USMEF members remain confident in their investments in international marketing for beef, pork and lamb. She notes that the San Antonio meeting offered USMEF members an opportunity to gather firsthand intelligence from USMEF’s international staff members and learn more about the success branded products are achieving in the global marketplace.

TRANSCRIPT:

Joe Schuele: In this U.S. Meat Export Federation report we speak with USMEF Chair Leann Saunders, who offers her observations from the USMEF board of Directors meeting, which concluded Friday in San Antonio. While red meat exports endured a difficult first quarter this year, Saunders said USMEF members are still confident in their investment in international marketing.

Leann Saunders: They’re definitely in it for the long haul. They understand that it is not a sprint, but a marathon. And so each and every day we’re continuing to deal with more complexity on market access side. But our members understand that, and they are supportive of USMEF. And I do think that the mood is positive for the future, so we just have to work through these issues each and every day. Probably the most valuable part of the meeting is their opportunity with the international staff. You just see all the members going up to them after every single session that they speak at and really trying to get their insights. It is those boots on the ground in international markets and those relationships. They truly understand how to best market our products.

Joe Schuele: Saunders is president of Where Food Comes From, a leading agricultural and food verification and certification company. She and other USMEF members found the discussion about the growing importance of branded products in the international marketplace very valuable.

Leann Saunders: I think everybody was amazed that you have over 400 different brands in pork products in Japan today. And then really looking at the value-added future, because what the panel discussed was it’s really good business that you see profit margins 20 to 30 percent above normal profit margins when you’re just trying to promote it as a commodity item. So I think that was really quite welcomed by the membership, and it gave me insight into ways we can position our products and our system better in those international markets. You know, every time I come to these meetings I walk away with knowledge that will help us in our own business.

Joe Schuele: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit USMEF.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.