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Scottsbluff Rancher Promotes Beef at Latin America Showcase

Adam Wegner - Nebraska Beef Council | September 10, 2021

Beef producer Ivan Rush, Nebraska Beef Council Board member, visits the meat case at an Auto Mercado supermarket in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Kearney, NE (September 7, 2021) – The Nebraska Beef Council (NBC) was a founding sponsor of the US Meat Export Federation’s Latin America Product Showcase and 10 years later, the event continues to make a difference for the beef industry.

Ivan Rush, NBC board member from Scottsbluff, attended the event in Costa Rica to help promote the industry.   “This is such a great event in Central America as it brings buyers and sellers together especially after a pandemic. It’s gratifying to see the renewed friendships and new relationships built between them and I was extremely pleased to watch them do business with one another,” said Rush who is in his 5th year on the NBC Board of Directors. 

More than 130 red meat buyers from 21 countries across Central and South America and the Caribbean participated in the event the last week of August. Fifty-five US exporting companies were allowed to showcase their products to the buyers and conduct business with them while also offering education sessions. Rush said, “I believe this was one of the best conferences because they were all ready to meet in-person after an extended time of no face to face contact. The customers I visited with indicated their biggest concern was keeping up with demand. They indicated that the demand, especially for quality US meat, is outstanding.”

The NBC Board of Directors believes that Beef Checkoff dollars are invested well in events such as the Latin America Showcase. The mission of NBC is to strengthen beef demand in the global marketplace and a priority for the board is to drive growth in exports. The ability to collaborate with targeted partners to promote beef and identify customer needs and values is important for the beef industry. “I came home very pleased with the conference and I believe our Beef Checkoff dollars were well invested,” said Rush.  

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The Nebraska Beef Council is a non-profit organization served by a nine-member board of directors. The volunteers oversee the beef checkoff in Nebraska and checkoff-funded programs. Programs for marketing and promotion are funded by the $1/head beef checkoff.