U.S. Beef, Pork Draw Strong Interest at Uzbekistan Trade Show

As Uzbekistan’s foodservice businesses recover from the pandemic, importers and distributors have been searching for new products and ideas that will recharge the hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector. At the same time, retailers are looking for new suppliers and new products to meet changing preferences of Uzbek consumers.

To engage key food buyers in these industries, USMEF recently promoted U.S. red meat at the International Exhibition of Food, Ingredients and Food Technologies (UzFood) trade show in Tashkent. Funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the activity included tastings of U.S. beef and meetings between USMEF and buyers from some of the largest retail chains in this country of 30 million people.

“The pandemic has caused a shift in consumer demand,” said Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF representative in Russia and the Surrounding Region. “Because of the changes, finding new suppliers was top of mind for many importers and distributors participating in the 2021 UzFood.”

Uzbekistan has a diverse and fast-growing economy and USMEF has promoted U.S. beef here for several years and has worked to grow demand for U.S. pork since access to the market was regained in 2017. “More people are shopping for food at retail and cooking at home, so we made sure to share information about the quality attributes and availability of U.S. beef and pork at UzFood,” said Kochubeeva. “We also shared ideas about how U.S. red meat can be part of the rebuilding of Uzbekistan’s HRI industry.”

U.S. beef tastings held outside the UzFood venue in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, drew strong interest from food buyers