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    TRADE

    Posted by whiteass on Nov-12-04 7:54am
    The picture for U.S. beef exports remains unclear.
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    Trying to predict the future for U.S. beef exports is at best a murky proposition, according to Alan Smith, the newly-elected chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. However, the former TCFA director, speaking to fellow cattle feeders at the 2004 Annual Convention of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association in San Antonio, Texas, cattlemen can be sure of one thing -- the U.S. beef industry is working very hard to regain markets.

    The effort began immediately after the December 2003 BSE announcement. “In early January, USMEF put into place a crisis management plan to respond to inquiries, develop strategies to reassure a number of audiences ranging from consumers to government decision-makers, support efforts to reopen markets and, once these things were accomplished, to begin the process of recovering market share," Smith said.

    The beef industry also worked with an international public relations firm to roll out the message in Korea, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Russia that U.S. beef is safe and wholesome.

    "And, USMEF and NCBA have worked with an international group of BSE experts to further develop and refine our messages and communications strategies," Smith added. These and many other efforts continue as the beef industry works to bolster consumer confidence worldwide in U.S. beef and markets are beginning to come back, he said.

    Since the December 2003 announcement of the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States and the loss of major export markets, the U.S. has been able to partially regain exports to Mexico and Canada.

    "Interestingly, a market most of us have written off for years -- the European Union -- is now our second-largest export destination. Several countries in the ASEAN have reopened, as have most Caribbean islands,” Smith said. The much-heralded framework for reopening the Japan market is a significant development, but there are hurdles remaining for the U.S. beef industry, he said. “How soon will product begin to ship to Japan? Depends on who you ask.”

    During USMEF's annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, cattlemen heard two different interpretations of the "agreement" between the two countries, he said. “According to USDA, law changes and systems should be in place to allow the shipment of beef to Japan by the end of the year. However, according to a Japanese representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, it will take longer and he failed to speculate on how long it might take, only that Japan would not be in a position to accept exports before the end of the year.” In other words, Smith said, Japan sees the market opening up "later than sooner" as they interpret progress needed for U.S. beef exports to resume.

    Smith expects the Taiwan market to open soon, which will be a positive step. "Korea, our third largest export market, has politely told negotiators to come back with a proposal for allowing more of its rice into the United States before it talks about beef."

    In short, Smith said, there is a lot of work still to do. He said the USMEF is accepting the challenge, working both in markets where the U.S. has limited access, and in those where access is yet to be granted.

    Why work so hard to reopen international markets? Smith said a quick look at history gives an answer. “Beef exports in 2003 amounted to nearly 1.3 million metric tons. That's 2.8 billion pounds for those of us still working with the U.S. system, which is 11 percent to 13 per cent of our production. The value of these exports to the industry was more than $3.8 billion in 2003," he said.

    Cattle-FAX estimates that cattle feeders could have done far better this year had exports continued uninterrupted, he said. "Cattle-FAX estimates the economic loss to feeders to be $9.50 to $10 per hundred as the result of beef export losses; another $3 to $4 because we aren't selling variety meats internationally; and another $0.50 to $1 because of interruptions in other bovine exports. Add it up and the market closing hit us in the pocketbook to the tune of $13 to $15 per hundred, or $165 to $190 per head. In other words, a good year could have been a really great year."

    Looking to the future, Smith said it is difficult to make any accurate predictions. "As incredibly small as the risk is of having infected animals in the human food supply or of contracting the human disease from the beef we eat, BSE remains the single most challenging trade issue confronting this country, and other beef exporting countries, for that matter," he told cattle feeders. However, there are positive signals that ultimately, trade will begin to return to normal. But it won't be easy.

    "The next year or two will be especially challenging to USMEF and those of us who believe in the value of exporting beef," he said. "We will be asked to reintroduce a product with a great track record for taste and safety whose reputation has been tainted in the minds of many international consumers. We will have to explain the science, we will have to build the case for product safety and we will have to resurrect consumer confidence in our product."

    This will take time and money, he emphasized. Fortunately, the infrastructure is in place through 13 USMEF offices around the world. "The struggle won't be easy and exports won't just bounce back to $3 or $4 billion dollars," Smith said. "You can be assured, however, that USMEF will do its part to put U.S. beef back on the world's table."


    Web posted: November 11, 2004
    Category: Food Safety,Legislation and Regulation,Marketing,Trade
    Domenick Castaldo, Ph.D.












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    TRADE whiteass Nov-12-04 7:54am


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    #2
    And you're here for what reason, haymaker? Something constructive or just to argue? Be polite or some otherwise docile Canadians might bite. At least here you have to use your real name and can't hide behind a new alias every 4 seconds. Sucks eh! That's eh from Canada eh! Have a good day eh! By the way the show was fabulous, thanks for asking!

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      #3
      IM here visiting ,trying to make me some canadian friends as IM going to try to visit canada next summer............good luck,PS you still owe me an apology

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        #4
        Hey stout! You comeing to Olds (an hour north of Calgary - about 3 hours from Coutts crossing)???!!! You can make friends with me! I'm mostley a friendly person and could probably squeeze out an apology if you're polite and respectful about it and tell me what the hell I owe you one for! Glad to hear you're comeing to Canada! Very welcome! Hope to hear from you soon! Have a good day!

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          #5
          whiteface you been posting long enough to know,ncba members will go to great lengths to discredit me ,what makes you acuse me of posting with your name,and being rude to me for something I did not do?....good luck eh

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            #6
            People will generally discredit when there are "holes" in the person they are discreditings story, or if they are overly arrogant, some just because the subject will let them. I'm not SH, I have no "proof" but I have gone my entire life on gut only and been scarily accurate a large majority of the time. I read people quite well, over the phone, in person and am now doing a little on the internet. Call it a hunch, but I dare say I'm not wrong...
            Why don't you see how many of those cute alias names you can get to post on Agri-ville instead of ranchers if I'm so wrong...
            At least here you have to have accountability, you can't just have any name and change it whenever you want.
            I guess then we'll see who owes whom an apology.
            I've kept the same name all the way along, on both forums, given out all kinds of information on myself, even handed out my website to all of you...
            What's YOUR story, other than your millions of alias to go with all your faces?
            I will eagerly look forward to your reply...good luck.

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              #7
              SH has never proven anything except being a packer lover,I support R CALF,s veiws on packers not the border closing and I personally dont see how the canadiqn cattle man would have much use for packers either......good luck PS I guess I can forget that apology?

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                #8
                Disliking R-Calf does not automatically make someone a 'packer lover'.

                We've been shafted by both.

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                  #9
                  sh has done more to prove he is a packer lover than dislike R CALF I think border has been closed to long .canada has done everything asked to assure the safety and quality of their beef including the testing .So I say open the gates and lets get back to normal and get on with some buisness that will help the north american cattlemen and women,tHE CAPTIVE SUPPLY REFORM ACT would be my choice to start.......good luck kato

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                    #10
                    whiteface would you post your website again I missed it.....good luck

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                      #11
                      You have my apology for accusing you of using my name and my slanderous comments toward you because of those suspicions on my part. I'm sorry, what I will do with you from now on stout is maybe speak with you on Agri-ville rather than ranchers if I can't get past my suspicious. My website is www.dynamiteacres.com and everything you could ever need to know about me is there for all to see. Enjoy! Have a good evening!

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                        #12
                        I accept your gracious apology,and my compliments to you on those good looking white face cattle no wonder you call your self white face I believe you have fine cattle and I believe you to be a good person some one I would like to call friend...........good luck

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                          #13
                          I look forward to meeting you someday, stout!

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                            #14
                            white face you are missed at ranchers,whats the weather like in OLDS today.....good luck

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