The president of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board says it’s important to maintain strong trading relationships as U.S. beef prices continue to push higher. Ryan Moorhouse says South Korea has been a crucial market. “Beef exports in particular are worth $411.00 per head on the finished carcass basis,” he says. “And $100 of the $400 is from South Korea.”
Moorhouse was recently in the country on a trade mission with the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
He tells Brownfield Ag News that consumers in South Korea love U.S. beef, but supplies are projected to tighten even more. “The main thing I think is to continue the work that the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) does over here and to maintain the relationships to continue to get those products over here,” he says. “And get them into these markets, whether they’re a little higher (priced) than the competition.”
Moorhouse says the trade mission included visits to retail stores like E-Mart and Costco, where U.S. beef continues to perform well, despite shelf competition from other countries like Australia. “The U.S. beef chilled products they’re moving through stores at a tremendous rate,” he says. “We’ve seen it before, and we’ve seen it today. When we visited the stores, the stuff is basically flying off the shelf.”
He says investing checkoff dollars into USMEF’s mission is critical. “The amount of work and effort they put into promoting American beef and pork across the world, it’s important for producers to understand that as well,” he says. “Because not all of them see it.”
Through July of this year, South Korea has purchased about $1.4 billion in U.S. beef, a 9 percent increase from 2024, and $432 million in U.S. pork, a 15 percent decline from last year.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Beef producers are constantly seeking to expand markets, but they also place a high degree of emphasis on keeping current customers like South Korea. And for good reason, as South Korea not only loves the product, but wants to support American grown beef. Mr. Moorehouse and others are great spokespersons for the product they produce and export. I have seen firsthand the intense interest by foreign buyers and consumers, in hearing what an actual U.S. farmer/rancher has to say.
Along that same line, be sure you take time to contact farmers/ranchers in your area. And when you have the opportunity visit with them, listen to what they are telling you. They will share exactly what they are seeking in a work truck. You can also get them to share even more about their operation and how they intend to use that truck if you genuinely show them your interest in agriculture. Explain that you are a CAD member. Mention that you can offer CAD Protect so they have a warranty when the OEM won’t cover farm/ranch use. Oh, and be sure to explain CADFI that allows you to match their payments to their income/cash flow.
