Weekly USMEF Audio Report: Wide Range of Red Meat Products Drives Record Exports to the Philippines
DENVER, CO – March 26, 2019 – Joel Haggard, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) senior vice president for the Asia Pacific, just completed a market visit to the Philippines, where he helped lead a delegation of producers and other ag industry leaders from Iowa on an examination of one of the world’s fastest-growing red meat import markets.
Haggard on Philippines 3-25-19
2018 was a record-breaking year for U.S. exports to the Philippines, with pork exports of nearly 48,000 metric tons (mt), up 23 percent from 2017, valued at $116.1 million (up 19 percent). Beef exports were nearly 18,000 mt valued at $87 million – up 39 percent and 42 percent, respectively.
Haggard explains that while a large percentage of U.S. export volume to the Philippines consists of lower-cost muscle cuts and variety meat used for further processing, rapid economic growth is helping generate demand for higher-end products. He notes that USMEF has increased its presence and the level of promotional activities in the Philippines in recent years, and this trend will likely continue as new growth opportunities emerge.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.
Submitted to the BARN by:
Joe Schuele
Vice President, Communications
U.S. Meat Export Federation
303-226-7309 (office)
303-547-0030 (mobile)