USMEF: Beef exports high on agenda at cattle convention

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Cattle producers from across the nation will gather in Tampa, Fla., this week for the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show. Under the recently revised structure for joint beef checkoff committees, issues related to foreign marketing will be discussed Thursday afternoon in the Global Growth Committee chaired by Larry Pratt, who runs a cow/calf and stocker operation near Eliasville, Texas. He is also a member of the Texas Beef Council (TBC) board of directors and represents the TBC on the board of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), which is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program.   

In the attached audio report, Pratt discusses the important role beef exports play in maintaining profitability for U.S. cattle producers – especially during this time of high production costs. He noted that expanded access for U.S. beef in Japan, which took effect Feb. 1, is the kind of positive news U.S. producers need when making decisions regarding herd rebuilding and expansion.    

The Global Growth Committee is also slated to discuss the industry’s foreign marketing priorities for the upcoming year and receive updates on several market access issues impacting beef trade.

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