Nebraska beef exports reaches milestone

Feb 06, 2015

First 11 months of 2014 set a new record for Nebraska beef

As one of the top beef producing states in the United States, Nebraska is accustomed to exporting vast amounts, but 2014 was a little extra special.

Between January and November of 2014, Nebraska exported their most beef to date – surpassing $1 billion.

“Nebraska farmers, ranchers, feedlot operators and processors work hard to produce high-quality beef products that are recognized around the world,” said Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach in a press release. “That hard work has been rewarded, as we are seeing significant growth in East Asian markets and also in several emerging markets. We are optimistic for a continued upward trend in 2015.”

Nebraska Governor Pere Ricketts sees the record beef export as a starting-off point for the success of agriculture as a whole in the state.

“Export activity like what we are seeing in the beef sector is exactly what we need to keep our Nebraska economy moving in the right direction,” he said in the release. “I am excited to further our state’s export efforts for all Nebraska agricultural goods.”

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association states more than 50% of the USA’s cattle and calf sales come from Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, California and Oklahoma, with Texas being the top producer.

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.