Weekly USMEF Audio Report: Halstrom Reports to Export Growth Committee at Cattle Industry Convention

Feb 06, 2018

The Beef Checkoff Program’s Export Growth Committee met Friday, Feb. 2 at the Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix. This committee helps establish industry priorities for international marketing and provides direction to checkoff contractors, including the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), in order to build global demand and increase the value of beef exports.

USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom gave the committee a summary of the very strong U.S. beef export results achieved in 2017. He noted that once December data is available, the United States will likely set a new beef export value record of $7.2 to $7.3 billion. Export value per head of fed slaughter exceeded $282, up 9 percent from the 2016 average, with much of this growth driven by top markets Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Hong Kong.

Halstrom also cited some of the factors supporting an upward trend in beef trade, including steady expansion of global protein demand, solid economic growth, increasing U.S. beef production and the recent strengthening of key currencies versus the U.S. dollar.

Source: USMEF

Video: How We Pick Sheep For Use As Breeding Stock

In this episode of our sheep farming vlog at Ewetopia Farms, we’re diving deeper into one of the most important parts of raising purebred sheep — selecting our breeding stock. ?? This episode is a direct follow-up to our popular video “You Be The Judge,” where we invited viewers to help evaluate our rams. We read through your comments, shared your insights, and now we’re responding! Arnie and I go over what we agreed with, where our opinions differed, and what we look for when choosing both rams and ewes to carry on our genetics. Breeding decisions at Ewetopia Farms aren’t just about looks — they’re about structure, performance, temperament, and the future of the flock. Whether you’re building your own breeding program or just curious how we make these decisions, today’s discussion offers a rare look inside the thought process behind improving a flock year after year.