Audio: U.S. Producers Impressed with FoodEx Trade Show in Tokyo

Last week a group of U.S. producers and other industry leaders traveled to Shanghai and Tokyo for the USMEF Market Expo, a market education program designed to give USMEF members an opportunity to observe international marketing activities for U.S. red meat and to learn more about the business climate in specific international markets. One of the highlights of the Japan segment was a day at FoodEx – the largest food trade show in Asia and one of the largest in the world, with 3,000 exhibitors from 80 countries and more than 77,000 attendees over four days.

In the attached audio report, the following producers offer their thoughts on FoodEx and the discussions they had with Japanese buyers of U.S. beef and pork:

Jennifer Houston
Chair, Federation of State Beef Councils
Sweetwater, Tennessee

Karen Grant
Nebraska Pork Producers Association
Meadow Grove, Nebraska

Dean Meyer
Iowa Corn Growers Association
Rock Rapids, Iowa

TRANSCRIPT:

Joe Schuele: In this U.S. Meat Export Federation report we hear from U.S. producers who just visited FoodEx in Tokyo - one of the largest food trade shows in the world. First is Jennifer Houston, a beef producer from Sweetwater, Tennessee, and chair of the Federation of State Beef Councils.

Jennifer Houston: This is a fantastic trade show with companies from all over the world. It really shows how everybody wants to get into this Japanese market and how important it is to all of these people, just like it is to U.S. beef. the buyers that we have met are just thrilled to death with U.S. beef. It's being featured more and more and I think it's being assimilated more into the Japanese culture at a lot of different levels, which is pretty exciting. The bedrock of everything, whether its the Japanese consumer or the American consumer, is that our beef is safe. Past that, we can talk about a great eating experience, we can talk about the high quality of U.S. beef, and tell consumers it's something to be enjoyed.

Joe Schuele: Karen Grant of Meadow Grove, Nebraska, found buyers equally enthusiastic about U.S. pork.

Karen Grant: One thing I have asked is, "Are we sending the product that you want?" And every answer has been "yes!" - a very definite yes. They are very happy with the product we are sending and that makes me very happy to know that we are fulfilling their needs.

Joe Schuele: Dean Meyer of Rock Rapids, Iowa, said FoodEx showed him just how fiercely competitive the Japanese market really is.

Dean Meyer: Being a corn, soybean, pork and beef producer, it really makes me feel good knowing we have people of this quality working for us here in Japan, and its really shown as we walk through a show like this and see people excited about U.S. products. We definitely need to stay in the ball game here, because first of all it's a huge market - a huge opportunity - but yet, they're a friendly market, they want to work with us. We know there are other countries pushing hard to get in here and have even gained access. But we have an edge if we just showcase what we do, and what we do best.

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.