Iowa Ag officials push for more U.S. beef in China

by | Jul 27, 2017 | 5 Ag Stories, News

 

Iowa beef officials celebrated U.S. beef being allowed back into the Chinese market during the first all-agriculture trade mission to China.

Currently, eight packing plant facilities are able to import beef into the Chinese market. Matt Deppe is the Chief Executive Officer for the Iowa Cattlemen?s Association. Deepe says the Iowa delegation is working to get more U.S. beef into the Chinese market.

?Interestingly enough, as we?ve gone through several meetings, whether they were from a government standpoint or like the Woomart ceremony, where U.S. beef was brought into a very large retail chain, there?s been a lot of excitement,? Deppe said. ?I would say the process continues to keep moving forward. On the U.S. and Chinese side, we continue to find ways to move forward in the relationship to having the right documentation and certification.?

The delegation held a ?U.S. Beef in China? event Wednesday. Deppe said the group received positive feedback during the event, and the event reaffirmed there is a lot of opportunity from a beef standpoint.

?In the beef industry, we partner, with our Checkoff dollars, with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). They traditionally, in a good way, help get the word out about U.S. and Iowa beef in other countries. Today (Thursday) we went to Woomart. We did a ribbon cutting in celebration of Woomart bringing in U.S. beef into their retail space. Following a very elaborate ribbon cutting, we went inside the store itself and there was a tasting station. I would say, as long as we can get the taste on the plate, we?ve got a lot of opportunity from a beef standpoint,? Deppe said.

Woomart is the Chinese-version of the Walmart. The delegation also had U.S. beef samples made available to their guests at the Iowa reception, held Wednesday.