U.S. Meat Export Federation - USMEF

Sharp Drop in Beef and Pork Exports to China Causes April Meat Exports to Take a Hit

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:51:07 GMT

The ongoing trade dispute with China reportedly made progress this week. In what marked the first call since the trade conflict began in February, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he held an hour-and-a-half conversation with President Xi Jinping, saying the conversation “resulted in a very positive conclusion for both countries”.

An in-person meeting between trade and economic leaders of both countries is on the calendar next. But as the negotiations play out, export demand is starting to take a hit, especially when tariffs hit their peak in April.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) says due in part to a sharp decline in shipments to China, April exports of U.S. beef and pork came in lower than a year ago. USMEF says a major headwind that showed up in the April numbers is China’s retaliatory duties on both beef and pork from the U.S.

But that’s not the only hurdle. Beef exports into China are also waiting for China to renew establishment registrations for U.S. beef plants and cold storage facilities, the majority of which expired in mid-March. This is a non-tariff trade barrier that is hurting beef exports.

According to USDA data, USMEF says April beef exports were 10% lower than April 2024. Value also fell, down 8% to $824.5 million. The biggest decline, by far, is China. Beef exports to China dropped 70% — that makes sense when you consider China’s total duties on U.S. beef peaked at 147% in April. At the same time, the fact that China hasn’t re-established U.S. plant registrations also caused exports to fall.

Overall, beef exports to Mexico also came in lower. However, USMEF says that was partially offset by larger exports to South Korea, Japan and Central and South America.

(USDA)

Pork exports fell 15% compared to a year prior, which is the lowest in 10 months. The value fell to 675.3 million, representing a 13% decline. USMEF says exports to China, which are mainly pork variety meats, dropped 35% during that time. Pork also faced a high tariff during April, peaking at 172%. But pork exports also slipped to Mexico, Japan and Canada — with exports to Canada down 45%.

The bright spots for U.S. pork exports in April were Colombia and Central Mexico — which are hitting a record pace.

U.S. Farm Report spoke to USMEF Dan Halstrom just hours after President Trump posted a more optimistic view of the relationship with China on social media. He says resolving issues with China will only fuel the strong start to the year.

(USDA)

“There’s no doubt outside of China, the rest of the business during the first part of this year and coming off records from last year is fantastic — record breaking in terms of demand,” Halstrom says. “China’s been the X factor. And through the first three months of this year before the disruption, things look pretty good. The April meat export stats just came out, and what’s down is China. We knew that would happen in April. So, this news couldn’t be more timely. We have to get people to the table. This was a necessary first step. And it’s great news the A-Team is going to get engaged and hopefully bring this back around to get some stability back into the market.”

The “A-team” Halstrom is referring to is key members from Trump’s cabinet. That includes treasury secretary Scott Bessent, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer.

“We need some sort of an agreement because there’s so many things going on. It’s not only tariff related,” Halstrom says. “In fact, on the beef side, it’s not tariff related. It’s non-tariff trade issues. We have approximately 400 beef establishments that have not been relisted in the China cipher system. So, it doesn’t matter what your duty is if your plants aren’t registered. This is at the top of the list on the beef side. On the pork side, the plants are listed, which is great news, but we still have a pretty hefty tariff. Uncertainty and instability in the market right now caused around China is a real headwind we have to get beyond.”

Halstrom says USMEF’s outlook for the remainder for 2025 is for exports to return to a strong pace, which was a theme during the first quarter of the year.

“For the pork side, our forecast, which assumes the current situation or something improved, shows we’re basically steady with a year ago — which was a record a year,” Halstrom says. “So, the demand is still very, very strong. Now, the caveat is what happens with China going forward on pork, and definitely on beef. On the beef side, our forecast is down 6% — but that’s with no beef plants relisted for China. Outside of China, beef demand is, in our opinion, fantastic — even at higher prices. Despite the uncertainty, we’re well positioned.”

Looking back at 2024, beef export value climbed 5% from 2023 despite a slight decrease in volume. Part of that was due to historically tight cattle supplies creating less meat for exports.

Pork exports to Mexico in 2024 totaled 1.15 million metric tons in 2024, up 5% from the enormous total exported in 2023. Export value climbed 10% in 2024 to $2.58 billion – more than doubling since 2020.

2024 U.S. Meat Exports Created 59¢ in Value for Corn, $1.46 for Soybeans

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 21:56:22 GMT

Pork exports smashed records last year and beef export value climbed 5% from 2023. With robust red meat exports to finish 2024, a new study by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) shows the economic impact that had on corn and soybean demand.

The study, which was conducted by the Juday Group, was unveiled during the live taping of U.S. Farm Report during Commodity Classic this week. The shows 30% of the pork produced in the U.S. is exported today. And exporting more than 14% of U.S. beef production is consumed outside the U.S. Exporting corn through U.S. beef and pork generated the following demand:

Beef and pork exports accounted for 525.1 million bushels of U.S. corn usage, which equated to a market value of $2.24 billion (at an average 2024 corn price of $4.27 per bushel).
Beef and pork exports accounted for 3.04 million tons of DDGS usage, equating to $525 million (at an average 2024 price of $172.56 per ton).
Beef and pork exports contributed an estimated total economic impact of 14%, or $0.59, of bushel value at an average price of $4.27 per bushel in 2024.
Pork exports accounted for 100.7 million bushels of U.S. soybean usage, which equated to a market value of $1.12 billion (at an average 2024 soybean price of $11.11 per bushel).
Pork exports contributed an estimated total economic impact of 13.2% of bushel value, or $1.46, at an average price of $11.11 per bushel in 2024.

“We send a lot of corn and soybeans out through us beef and pork and when you look at that, every hog that we export outside the United States, that’s 10 bushels of corn,” says John Hinners, Senior Vice President, Industry Relations, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). “The Dave Juday study shows the impact of that is 59 cents on a bushel of corn in 2024 on that impact and then $1.46 on a bushel of soybeans. So it has significant impact.”

Corn demand generated from meat exports.

(U.S. Meat Export Federation)

Hinners says bottom-line is the corn and soybean industry are critical in U.S. Meat Export Federations’ efforts to grow global demand for U.S. red meat.

“World demand for protein has never been better. And when you think about what we do as an organization, we’re trying to build profit opportunities in the agriculture business, not specifically one sector or another, but just red meat in total,” he says. “And it has an impact on everything we do in agriculture, whether that’s the corn grower, the soybean grower, and so forth.”

Soybean demand generated from meat exports in 2024.

(U.S. Meat Export Federation)

Hinners says the U.S. isn’t exporting the high-quality cuts of meat, like ribeyes or New York steaks. Most of those cuts are consumed here at home. What the U.S. does export, and provides value, is the cuts and parts of an animal that aren’t preferred by U.S. consumers.

“When you think about what we send outside of the United States, it’s not the ribeye steaks and New York strips. It’s the beef liver, it’s the tripe on that animal. It’s the pork tails, the feet, the snout. A lot of these good protein items are garnished and really welcome in different countries,” says Hinners. “We’re trying to add value to these items that we don’t traditionally consume here in the United States. And it’s great protein.

(U.S. Meat Export Federation)

Exploring the Tariff Impact on Red Meat Exports
According to the USMEF, total U.S. red meat exports in 2024 was $19.1 billion. Mexico, China and Canada add up to 8.4 billion of the total, about 40%. USMEF president and CEO Dan Halstrom told Farm Journal’s Clinton Griffiths the impact remains unknown as it remains a ‘fluid situation.’

“I think the important thing to remember is that just because there’s tariff doesn’t mean the trade stops,” says Halstrom. “What it does do is it opens the doors of some of our competitors. Use Mexico as example. If we have a retaliatory duty on our products, beef or pork, we are competing against Brazilian product, for example, coming into Mexico. So that’s a very big focus that we have. They were a competitor before this when we were all zero -duty, and it’ll even be more so with a duty.”

Halstrom says it’s key to think longer term about the situation and what it could mean for export potential in the future.

“I personally think that the Trump administration, one, had our back in agriculture. I don’t think there’s any reason to think that they won’t again, but it will be a bumpy ride.”

During the previous Trump administration, the president renegotiated the free trade agreement between Mexico and Canada, which is known as the U.S., Mexico, Canada agreement (USMCA).

“We were on schedule for a review of USMC anyway in 2026, so there is an effort I think to move it up quicker, which might actually work to our advantage. We’ll have to wait and see,” Halstrom says. “This is sort of the concern when you start putting bilateral, unilateral duties on countries that you are kind of outside the confines of the free trade agreement structure. But like I said, it’s a very fluid situation. I do think the other thing that we have that’s definitely in our favor is that demand for our products globally is record breaking. I mean, it’s as good as I’ve ever seen it in 40-plus years. We have a very unique product. We’ve got to kind of keep that in mind because that’s a big leverage point.”

U.S. Pork Exports Break Records at $8.63 Billion in Value for 2024

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:04:02 GMT

U.S. pork exports reached new highs for both volume and value in 2024. Export value totaled $8.63 billion, up 6% from the previous record set in 2023. The full-year volume came in at 3.03 million metric tons, up 4% from a year ago and topping the previous high (2.98 million metric tons) reached in 2020.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom says the increases were driven by diversification of export markets and delivered a value of $66 per head slaughtered on pork.

“We’ve actually had a few months this year where we were over $70 so I think we’re going to continue to look to increase that payback going forward in 2025,” Halstrom says.

December pork exports totaled 267,132 metric tons, slightly below last year’s large volume, while value increased 1% to $771.8 million, according to year-end data released by USDA and compiled by USMEF.

“Market diversification has been a key goal of the U.S. pork industry for many years, and the resulting broad-based growth has never been more evident than in 2024,” Halstrom says. “While exports to Mexico were record-large for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. pork’s footprint expanded greatly in the Western Hemisphere and made gains in the Asia-Pacific, which bolstered global export totals and pushed export value per head slaughtered to a new high of more than $66.”

Pork exports achieved annual volume and value records in Central America, Colombia, New Zealand, Malaysia and several Caribbean markets. Value records were reached in South Korea, Australia and the Dominican Republic.

“I think we’re well positioned, on the pork side, to see continued growth in 2025,” Halstrom adds. “And like I said, it’s not just Latin America, but it’s a combination of Southeast Asia, Asia and Latin America. So very good spot for us on the pork side.”

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Could Trump Actually Be Good for U.S. Ag Trade?

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:52:48 GMT

President-elect Donald Trump has released a slew of key cabinet and advisory picks at a historic pace the past two weeks, but the agriculture industry is waiting on two key selections — Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative.

The Financial Times previously reported Robert Lighthizer could make an encore performance as the U.S. Trade Representative under Trump , but nothing official has been announced.

“Trump and Bob Lighthizer are two peas in a pod when it comes to using tariffs to get what they want in amongst our trading allies,” says Jim Wiesemeyer, Pro Farmer Washington correspondent.

If it’s a repeat of the last time, Lighthizer held that seat, there will be an increased focus on trade and using tariffs, which comes as no surprise since that was a major point on the campaign trail

“President-elect Trump was so strong on doing tariffs before that, it’s very likely that he’ll follow through now,” Mary Kay Thatcher, who’s the senior lead for federal government relations at Syngenta, told “AgDay’s” Michelle Rook. “I mean, he’s talked about at a minimum 20% tariffs on everybody. He’s talked about 60% on China, who will likely fall to two or three, but still a very important market. And he’s talked about putting them on Mexico. If Mexico doesn’t stop as many people coming across the border.”

Tariffs were the talk of the campaign trail, not just on commodities, but even ag equipment that’s imported on.

Ag groups want a focus back on trade, but they are also concerned it could come at a cost.

“Mexico, Canada, China are always our No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 three ag markets,” Thatcher says. “And so, a lot of concern in agricultural circles about the fact that most likely that’s where the retaliation starts first.”

Reality of a Growing Ag Trade Deficit

As tariff talk heats up, there are still tariffs in place today, and a growing ag trade deficit that’s glaring for U.S. agriculture. The ag trade deficit is expected to balloon to $42 billion in 2025, under the current administration. And Indiana farmer Kip Tom, who served as the ambassador to the United Nations in the first Trump administration, argues the focus back on trade could bode well for ag.

“When Trump was president, we did nearly 50 trade deals around the world,” Tom told “AgDay’s” Clinton Griffiths in an interview. “He did the Phase One deal with China. And granted, we didn’t get to Phase Two or Phase Three, but the reality is he got to put together and he got started following the trade war that we had with him for a little bit. So, I think trade is going to be No. 1.”

Tom says Trump’s next four years will be looking at new trade deals, but today, groups like U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) also want any trade negotiations to do no harm, especially considering some meat exports have actually grown this year, in spite of the widening U.S. ag trade deficit.

“I think if you look at 2024 pork exports, we’re pulling our weight. We’re going to have record volume and record value this year, approaching $8.5 billion or so on the pork side,” says Dan Halstrom, CEO of USMEF.

Mexico Becomes U.S. Top Buyer

Halstrom says record demand from pork is broad based, but the No. 1 buyer is Mexico.

“Mexico is being driven by everything,” Halstrom says. “I mean, food service, retail, convenience stores. The buying power of the Mexican trade has been record breaking but also a little bit amazing.”

Earlier this year, Mexico bumped out China as the top trading partner for the U.S. But in the final days of Trump’s presidential campaign, he threated to impose 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports if Mexico didn’t tighten the border. And Mexico’s economy minister said it’s considering retaliatory tariffs of its own.

“I think as long as we don’t have any disruption, then yes, I think the strong export pace is very well positioned to continue,” Halstrom says. “Of course, you have new administrations coming in with a lot of talk about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). But as long as we stay within the confines of the USMCA agreement and follow that, I think we’re well positioned to continue this momentum in Mexico.”

Dairy and the Importance of USCMA

Another protein seeing positive demand from Mexico through the USMCA is dairy.

“When the administration first negotiated USMCA, which was do no harm to what’s working well, and for us, dairy continues to be overall a really positive relationship. So, working to help preserve that,” says Shawna Morris, executive vice president of trade policy and global affairs at National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

The relationship with Mexico within USMCA has been a positive for dairy, but it’s the Canadian side of the agreement that needs work, according to Morris.

“I mean, they’re flat out not doing what they promised to do. And I just don’t see any way around calling them on the carpet for that,” Morris says. “Yes, they eked out a win in the last dispute settlement case the U.S. brought against them, but if one judge had changed their mind, though, we would have been on the winning side. It’s just a three-person panel. This isn’t gospel here; we’re talking about what Canada’s doing is shady. It needs fixed.”

She says between the way Canada administers the dairy tariff rate quota quantities to U.S. competitors, to their excessive exports of dairy protein, dairy is a piece of USMCA that needs to be addressed.

“The last administration tried to deal with that in USMCA,” Morris says. “We had some disciplines to try to tackle it in the agreement. And Canada has found some workarounds that both of those issues are going to need to be on the table. I think just in terms of UCMCA, it’s clean-up and follow through.”

The Biggest Wild Card: China

Even with southeast Asia, Latin America and Mexico carrying the weight for dairy exports, China is still the biggest wild card. We asked Morris if China does retaliate against Trump’s threatened 60% tariffs, if it would have the same impact as it did during the last trade war.

“China, even though it has pulled back on its global dairy imports, it’s still our third-largest export market,” Morris says. “So, it’s a pretty sizable market and difficult to place out into other markets the volume of that production, but I think what we also saw the first time around, in addition to the pain and disruption caused by the retaliatory tariffs that were imposed, was at the end of the process progress having been made.

Phase One Trade Deal with China

Progress in the form of the U.S. China Phase One agreement, which as Tom noted, was negotiated under Trump’s first term. Morris describes that deal as useful for dairy.

“We had a number of different non-tariff barriers, issues that were a drag on our ability to be able to reliably export to that market. And the phase one agreement included progress and dealt with a whole handful of those,” Morris says. “So, I’d say, yes, there’s upheaval. We’ve also seen from the first time around that that can yield significant progress in certain respects, and we’re hopeful that that’s more of what we’ll see this time around.”

China has also scaled back on their buys of U.S. pork, with exports down 11% so far this year, but Halstrom points out even with increased tariffs now entering the picture again, tariffs the past four years never went away.

“The thing to remember on these tariffs is, we’ve had a tariff now for quite a few years on China, on both beef and pork, and it’s not the ideal situation, but it doesn’t it doesn’t eliminate trade,” Halstrom says. “We ended up doing $2 billion in sales on beef with a tariff in 2022, I believe was the year. A lot of that came as a result of the phase one agreement in 2020, but people sometimes forget that there was a tariff involved, and we still had a pretty good outcome.”

Two weeks after the election, and Trump’s playbook seems to be unfolding quickly with all his cabinet picks. But some argue those tariffs might just be threats at first.

“Here’s what the Republicans tell me,” Wiesemeyer says. “Trump isn’t going to invoke these across-the-board tariffs right away. He’s going to use that as leverage to countries looking at their trade relationship with the U.S., and his key word is ‘reciprocity.’ If you don’t treat us like we treat you, then I’m going to invoke tariffs.”

Those close to Trump seem to be in alignment: the U.S. needs fair trade.

“When we’re spending $500 billion in China, and they’re only spending $350 billion with us, we need to level that out a little bit. And maybe it means more agriculture trade going into China to balance that trade out,” Tom says. “I’m very optimistic on trade with Trump. I have no doubts that we’ll get things put together. He knows farmers don’t like to get their money from the government; they like to get it from the market. And so, I’m really excited about that when we talk about trade. But yet, I know everybody’s pretty edgy about it at this point in time.”

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Porkstars USA Brings Vietnamese Cuisine and U.S. Farmers Together

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 20:32:59 GMT

It’s one thing to read about it, but it’s another thing to travel across the ocean and experience it for yourself. That’s why Jackie Ponder, an Indiana farmer who raises pigs, corn and soybeans, decided to join the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council’s trade mission to Vietnam in September which focused on the benefits of U.S. pork and high oleic soybean cooking oil.

“I think it’s important for producers to be involved in these trade missions,” Ponder says. “There’s no doubt we hear a lot of great presentations from the National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board about international markets. But it’s another thing to go over and see what the competition is like. How is our pork being presented? How important is pork to this country?”

Understanding how important pork is to Vietnam and to their diets opened her eyes to the value her investments have on export opportunities. Ponder, a member of the NPPC Strategic Investment Program (SIP) and Long-Range Strategic Planning Committee, is interested in helping legislators and producers understand key pork issues.

“We all know the dollars and cents benefit of exports – it’s a big chunk of the money we get per pig,” Ponder says. “I know the National Pork Board has been doing a really good job and working very hard on increasing domestic consumer demand. But there’s only so many people in the U.S. and even if we increase consumption, we’re not going to match what we could get with increased exports. I see investment not just in the National Pork Board, but also in the National Pork Producers Council critically important for me as a producer because it matters how much I can sell my pigs for.”

Al Wulfekuhle shows U.S. products on display in Vietnam’s Porkstars showcase.

(National Pork Board)

While in Vietnam on a USDA trade mission, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) brought together representatives from the National Pork Board as well as the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Corn Marketing Council delegation to continue building relationships in the Vietnamese market.

Over the past several years, Vietnam’s domestic pork industry has been hampered by outbreaks of African swine fever, which have created new opportunities for imported pork demand.

“This is a great case where it’s important to be present, to be brand ambassadors for U.S. pork and our other commodities,” says Courtney Knupp, National Pork Board vice president of international market development. “It was one of the largest trade missions for the USDA. We’re talking all commodities, which shows a full court press of U.S. agriculture, the interest in the region and in Vietnam, especially a country where we have such historical ties, which has led to relationship building for decades.”

Why Vietnam?
Vietnam is a growing country with a growing middle class, explains Al Wulfekuhle, an Iowa pig farmer and president of the National Pork Board. Both the change in culture and modernization of the country are important factors to consider now, he adds.

“We’re in this for the long game, but there are some major hurdles to increasing short-term demand because of the culture shift,” he says.

They met with Vietnam’s chief veterinarian officer who shared that in the peak of African swine fever, they lost 6 million pigs in 2019 and the number to date in 2024 is 64,000 pigs.

“Between biosecurity and the vaccine working very well, their production is coming roaring back,” Wulfekuhle says. “Their reliability in exports isn’t as much as it was even a year or two ago. But I believe the U.S. needs to be in Vietnam, building trust and developing long-term relationships. I think there’s a huge opportunity for long-term demand.”

Knupp says there are many opportunities for value-added and premium product placement in Vietnam. For example, the U.S. is successfully exporting pork spareribs. They are also seeing some really unique partnerships in food service with Korean barbecue using U.S. pork hearts.

“It’s a great way to continue to maximize our carcass. We want to make sure we’re selling every part of the pig at the highest value every day,” Knupp says.

As an Indiana soybean grower, Chris Eck says Vietnam is an important country to be in now. He says most of the soybeans produced in Indiana are run through livestock so when exports increase, the demand for Indiana soybeans and corn increases. That’s why their state has stepped up to the plate to help promote pork in Vietnam through their Porkstars USA showcase, now in its third year.

Porkstars USA brings together three well-known chefs in Vietnam with three young social media influencers who each have close to a million or more followers.

(Amie Simpson)

Porkstars USA brought together three well-known chefs in Vietnam with three young social media influencers who each have close to a million or more followers. The teams included the Northern Team with influencer Vu Gia Bao and chef Le Xuan Tam . The Central Team included influencer Phan Ngan Ha and chef Dinh Son Truc . The Southern Team was made up of influencer Ong Chu Nguoi Bong and chef Cam Thien Lon .

“The younger generation in Vietnam is very focused on healthy eating and these influencers represented that segment,” Ponder says. “The cooking pairs were given U.S. pork spareribs and asked to come up with an appetizer and a main dish in a live cooking competition.”

Ponder, Eck, Knupp and Wulfekuhle served as four of the judges in the showcase.

“They just outdid themselves, showing how versatile pork is,” Ponder adds. “They did things I had not seen done before in the U.S. It was delicious, but the presentation was just over the top. Plus, they talked to the camera the whole time. And, of course, we can’t forget the dancing pig mascot. It was a ton of fun.”

The influencers will then take the video shot during the showcase and use it on a regular basis in the future to promote cooking with U.S. pork and high oleic soybean oil.

Chris Eck farms near Boggstown, Ind.

(Amie Simpson)

Eck, an Indiana Soybean Alliance board member, grows high oleic soybeans on his operation in Boggstown, Ind.

“In Indiana, we produce a significant amount of the high oleic soybean oil,” Eck says. “Everything in Porkstars is cooked in that and people can see the value of not only U.S. pork, but also the cooking oils that we provide.”

Indiana farmers are the leaders in growing high oleic soybeans, planting nearly 850,000 acres in 2023. Farmers receive a premium for growing high oleic soybeans. Increased demand for high oleic soybean oil benefits those growers and consumers.

Why the U.S.?
USMEF is doing great work to promote U.S. red meat in key export countries. But the reality is they can’t do their job as well without farmer input and support. The farmer’s voice matters most and this younger generation in Vietnam sees U.S. pork as the “end-all, be-all,” Ponder adds.

“They know U.S. pork is nutritious, it’s reliable, and they are cooking with it. Each one of those social media influencers share and make recipes online, and they teach others about the importance of being healthy and cooking with reliable meat,” she says.

What is reliable meat? Ponder says it’s when you can rely on taste and quality.

One of the items prepared in Porkstars USA.

(National Pork Board)

“That’s not always something you can rely on from our partners in other countries. We have a reputation for being high quality good protein, whole nutrition that you don’t get on a consistent basis from our competition,” she says.

The biggest hurdle for U.S. pork in Vietnam remains tariffs. Not having a free trade agreement with Vietnam poses severe challenges.

“I know NPPC does a great job getting into the markets and talking with in-country representatives, but we really need the support of the government behind us,” Ponder says. “While we can work to bring down non-trade barriers, it’s hard without the support of our representatives to bring down the tariffs. We’re always going to have to be better, and we are. And while I know U.S. pork is better than the competition, sometimes money matters.”

That’s why the investments into building these export markets helps, Wulfekuhle says.

At Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, market development is a big part of their strategic plan, Eck says. They work with partners to accelerate demand for Indiana soybeans and corn in all forms through those exports.

“Our yields have gotten high enough that exports are vital. When you have competition like Brazil, who has seemingly unlimited acreage, making these relationships overseas is absolutely crucial,” Eck says. “The senior director of market development for ISA and ICMC says, ‘It’s that face-to-face meeting that makes the difference. You may lose on price here, you may win on price there, but it’s building relationships face-to-face that enables you to win the ties when the price is the same between the U.S. and another competitor.’ That face-to-face means we win the ties; we sell the beans.”

Why You?
And at the end of the day, farmers want to know where their investment dollars go. That’s why Eck makes it a point to help bridge the gap between U.S. farmers and international market opportunities.

“It’s exactly like any other job you hire for or invest in. If you hire the co-op or another company to spray your crop, you don’t just assume that it was done right, walk away and never go look at it,” Eck says. “You go look at the product. You see what kind of job they did, and make sure that, yes, this is what we’ve invested in, and we are getting our money’s worth.”

Showing up matters, Eck says. When you don’t show up live, you can’t really understand how it’s going.

“You can get feedback from collaborators and consultants, but you don’t see exactly what is happening,” Eck says. “When you show up, or send board members or employees to look, you can find out exactly what’s happening and be part of figuring out what improvements need made.”

For Wulfekuhle, it’s about shaking hands, smiling and truly connecting with other people who want some of the same things you do – to be able to safely and affordably feed their families.

By the end of the mission, he hopes people realize that U.S. farmers are good people and good business partners.

Ponder says there’s nothing like producers coming back and telling other producers face to face about their experiences.

“People want to see people – boots on the ground – and know their money is being well spent. Farmers are well known for being very conservative when it comes to fiscal decisions. They don’t want to spend money on things that are frivolous,” Ponder says. “I can attest to the fact that our money, given all that I’ve seen, is well spent.”

Watch the Porkstars livestream here.

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