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Nebraska Producers’ Investments Help Expand Global Demand for U.S. Beef

Adam Wegner - Nebraska Beef Council | April 19, 2023

The Nebraska Beef Council is a longtime supporter of international marketing efforts for U.S. beef. According to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, exports reached new heights in 2022, setting annual records for both volume (1.47 million metric tons) and value ($11.68 billion).  

Through their checkoff investments, Nebraska producers have assisted the USMEF in growing U.S. beef’s market share in well-established destinations such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, capturing the attention of new customers in emerging markets and jump-starting U.S. beef’s rapid expansion in the Chinese market.   

One of USMEF’s most innovative and successful promotions is the Latin American Product Showcase, which brings meat buyers from Central and South America and the Caribbean together in a single location with U.S. exporters. Nebraska Beef Council was an original sponsor of the showcase when it began as a small gathering in Panama in 2011, and has worked with USMEF to make it a premier, go-to event. The next showcase is set for July 12-13 in Cartagena, Colombia.   


In Taiwan, U.S. beef has achieved exceptional growth in the retail sector. Now that in-store tastings have returned to Taiwan post-COVID, Nebraska producers are helping maintain this momentum through promotional events at major retail chains such as Costco, RT Mart, A Mart, Carrefour and PX Mart.         

Over the past year, Japanese consumers have received an up-close look at U.S. beef production through a series of promotional videos highlighting family farm and ranch operations. One of the producers featured is Steve Hanson of Elsie, Neb., USMEF vice chair and former chair of the Nebraska Beef Council. See a brief sample of the campaign here and learn more about the Hanson family’s participation in this USMEF video.      

For more information, please visit nebeef.org or usmef.org.

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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.