Identifying opportunities to bring more U.S. beef to Asia was the focus of cattle industry leaders on a recent trip with the US Meat Export Federation. Joan Ruskamp, chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion board and a cattle producer from Nebraska says that China and Japan have big differences and opportunities for increasing beef demand.
What was ironic to Ruskamp was that in Chinese supermarkets, the price per pound for low-end beef cuts was higher compared to prime steak. “We could increase the value of U.S. beef carcasses by taking advantage of the Chinese affinity for variety meats such as tongue, tail and intestines,” Ruskamp says.
Meanwhile, in Japan, high-quality U.S. beef is becoming increasingly popular as consumers move from rich Wagu beef to prime U.S. beef as a leaner choice.
“We need our checkoff program to fuel these types of relationships,” Ruskamp says. “Because if we as producers aren’t funding a system that builds relationships, who will do it?”
