At the 2024 CattleCon held in Orlando, Florida, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays talked with the president and CEO of the United States Meat Export Federation, Dan Halstrom, about beef exports in 2024.
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While 2023 may have been a challenge for U.S. beef exports, Halstrom said he believes 2024 will yield better results. Halstrom said the number one struggle in 2023 was the lack of food service rebound in Asia.
“The first half of 2023, there was no official tourism policy for all of these countries,” Halstrom said. “That has since changed, and we are starting to see that rebound.”
Halstrom said he has seen the food service turning a corner in Korea in a recent trip, so it is only a matter of time before food service picks up the pace.
“What we have been working on and the industry has been working on is talking about other parts of the carcass,” Halstrom said. “What can we do with the inside round, or the knuckle, or the top sirloin, and maybe getting more familiarity with parts of the carcass they traditionally haven’t used.”
Regarding the strategy for success in 2024, Halstrom said the number one priority is maintaining the momentum in Latin America from 2023.
“Mexico, while it didn’t set a record, was close in the face of higher cutout prices,” Halstrom said.
Latin American countries are paying the price, Halstrom said, because they understand the quality. With a combined focus on Latin America, food service in Asia, and potential growth in new regions, Halstrom said things are looking up for 2024.
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