The U.S. Meat Export Federation has simply accomplished its Latin American Product Showcase in Cartagena, Colombia, the place U.S. pink meat exporters related with 220 importers from all through Central and South America and the Caribbean. This was the 11th version of the occasion, which was first held in Panama in 2011. The showcase was made potential by help from the USDA Market Entry Program, the Beef Checkoff Program, Nebraska Beef Council, Texas Beef Council, United Soybean Board, Illinois Soybean Affiliation and Indiana Soybean Alliance.Â
Individuals included Laura De Bedout, who’s with family-owned Colombian importing firm Vitamar. She says the showcase offered an awesome alternative to fulfill with many suppliers of U.S. beef and pork at a single location, and she or he was impressed with the choice of high-quality merchandise that had been additionally affordably priced.
“We distribute within the Colombian market pork, beef and another frozen merchandise. We’re a household firm in Colombia for 45 years. This present is essential for us, as a result of we are able to discover new suppliers, we are able to meet all of the folks which can be concerned on this sector,” says De Bedout. “So it is crucial to be right here. We attempt to go to the festivals in another international locations, however to be right here in Colombia, that’s my nation, my market, it is a bonus for me and my firm. We want to have extra manufacturers of beef and pork to finish our portfolio for foodservice. It is crucial the value, however high quality as properly – value and high quality and it’s extremely troublesome to seek out that however I believe within the U.S., you will discover high quality and value.”
Randy Spronk, a farmer from Edgerton, Minnesota, who serves as USMEF chair-elect, attended his third Latin American Product Showcase, and notes that the occasion has achieved wonderful development.
“My first Latin America Showcase was in Panama – I really noticed one other one in Dominican Republic, and it is simply phenomenal seeing the expansion that is taking place and the impression that has after we’re in these international locations,” Spronk says. “We really had an trade tour that we had from corn growers and soybean growers, pork producers, beef producers and we noticed frozen pork sirloins being processed to be delivered to grocery shops, which is nice to see these sirloins being marketed. We simply had an awesome style testing of various cuisines inside Colombia and carta haina right here that we actually loved, to point out how our merchandise which can be born, raised and processed in United States – how they’re really loved in international international locations. And simply nice for those who fund USMEF to have the ability to see what these funds really do and present the return on the greenback, return on their funding.”
