Beef exports hit near 2-year high, pork slows in June

Aug 15, 2024
By Farms.com

June sees beef exports soar; pork faces minor setbacks

June brought promising news for U.S. beef exporters, with export values reaching the highest in nearly two years, totaling $938.3 million.

Despite a slight decrease in quantity, the quality of exports, particularly to Japan, Taiwan, and Canada, underscored robust international demand.

Notably, beef shipments to Japan and Taiwan were among the highest recorded, and Canadian exports were the most significant in nearly a decade.

Conversely, pork exports in June experienced a decline, totaling 224,392 metric tons, marking the lowest figure since the previous September.

Despite this, pork continued to show strength in the first half of the year, with an overall value increase, especially in markets like Korea, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Dan Halstrom, President and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, highlighted the resilience and strategic victories in key markets. "June beef exports performed very well in Japan, which was great to see given the significant headwinds U.S. beef has faced there this year," Halstrom remarked. He also noted that, while June saw a slowdown in pork exports to some regions, other areas like Korea and Central America recorded impressive gains.

The June figures for both beef and pork exports reflect the dynamic nature of the U.S. meat export industry, with ongoing opportunities and challenges across different markets.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.