Missouri Corn Merchandising Council board member Greg Schneider of Warrenton, Mo., recently joined a trade delegation to promote U.S. corn-fed beef in Japan and Korea. Encouraging consumption of grain-fed beef with meat distributors and retailers, Schneider joined farmers from four other states on the U.S. Meat Export Federation mission July 26-Aug. 1.
“The global livestock industry is a major user of U.S. corn,” said Schneider. “The more meat consumed here at home or exported overseas increases demand for the corn we grow.”
The team first visited the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan for a briefing on current import conditions. Schneider and the group then met with beef and pork importers, visited meat distributors and retailers, viewed U.S. beef and pork promotion firsthand and learned about competing suppliers. Several consumer events took place while in Japan with the team participating in cooking demonstrations and a BBQ seminar.
Wrapping up in Japan, the mission traveled to Korea where growers and ranchers again saw U.S. beef marketing in action, visited with distributors and took part in consumer promotions, including a blogger event.
“One of the main reasons we were there was to showcase the superior quality of grain-fed U.S. beef over Australian beef. Taste and quality are major factors for Japanese and Korean consumers,” noted Schneider. “There’s a high priority placed on those qualities and that’s where the corn-fed beef comes into play. We’re working to capitalize on this market demand and increase corn demand through increased meat consumption.”