The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference wrapped up last Friday in Oklahoma City with the election of a new officer team. Dean Meyer, a crop and livestock producer from Rock Rapids, Iowa, is the new USMEF chair. Meyer and his three sons raise corn and soybeans on their diversified operation, which also includes a cattle feedlot and a farrow-to-finish hog facility. Meyer said this provides him with a deep appreciation of the diverse range of agricultural sectors that make up the USMEF.
Meyer said numerous sectors of U.S. agriculture come together to make the USMEF successful in expanding global demand for U.S. red meat, so his focus will be on strengthening each of those relationships.
Meyer said it will continue to be a goal of the USMEF to take some of the underappreciated cuts and get them to other parts of the world who want to see that product.
The U.S. red meat industry is riding on a lot of momentum from recent success in new and established export markets, so Meyer said he wants to keep pushing that forward and continue to strengthen relationships throughout the red meat industry.
All in all, Meyer said we?re wrapping up a record year in U.S. red meat exports, and he looks forward to continuing that growth next year, especially as more countries come out of COVID restrictions.
For more information, visit usmef.org.
