A young calf and its mother help to make Nebraska the “Beef State.” May is “Beef Month” in Nebraska, which is one of the leading beef producing states in the country. (Independent/Robert Pore)
May is Beef Month in Nebraska. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Gov. Pete Ricketts has proclaimed May as “Beef Month” in Nebraska.
“Nebraska has long been known as the Beef State,” Ricketts said.
And Nebraska beef is reaching more of an international audience. The U.S. Meat Export Federation reports March was a record month of beef and pork exports.
The beef community is the heart of Nebraska, said William H. Rhea III, president of the Nebraska Cattlemen. According to the USDA, last year’s cash receipts from the cattle industry was more than $9.6 billion.
“With a continued focus on conservation and care, Nebraska farmers and ranchers are laser focused on enriching the land and caring for their animals,” Rhea said.
He said Nebraska is an unmatched leader in delivering high-quality beef to those who love it, with the “best people in the business each step along the way”.
Nebraska ranks first in the nation for commercial cattle slaughter, second for beef exports, and second for all cattle on feed last year. In 2019, beef was Nebraska’s No. 2 agricultural export, just behind soybeans. Nebraska has 22 million acres of rangeland and pasture land, about half of which is in the Sandhills.
On Jan. 1, the state inventory, according to the USDA, of all cattle and calves were 6.850 million head, second-largest in the nation behind Texas.
Last year, Nebraska’s beef slaughterhouses processed 6.993 million head of cattle. That’s more than 10 billion pounds. Live weights averaged, at time of slaughter. 1,442 pounds.
Beef is also a boom for the corn industry as corn grain may make up 60% to 85% of a grain-finished animal’s diet.
A recent report from the U.S. Meat Export Federation showed March beef and pork exports each posted the highest monthly value on record. Pork exports and shipments of beef muscle cuts also set new volume records in March.
According to USMEF, beef exports totaled 124,808 metric tons in March, up 8% from a year ago and the second-largest of the post-BSE era.
USMEF said that export value broke the $800 million mark for the first time at $801.9 million, up 14% year-over-year. Beef muscle cut exports set new monthly records for both volume (98,986 mt, up 13% from a year ago) and value ($718.3 million, up 17%). For the first quarter, beef exports pulled even with last year’s pace at 333,348 mt, valued at $2.12 billion. For beef muscle cuts, first quarter exports increased 4% to 262,914 mt, valued at $1.9 billion (up 5%).
March pork exports were record-large at 294,724 mt, up 1% from last year’s strong total, and set a new value record at $794.9 million (up 4%). Pork muscle cuts also set new monthly records for both volume (247,660 mt, up 2% from a year ago) and value $689.2 million (up 4%). For the first quarter, pork exports were 7% below last year’s pace in both volume (782,620 mt) and value ($2.07 billion). Pork muscle cuts followed a similar trend at 659,420 mt (down 7%), valued at $1.79 billion (down 8%).
“It’s very gratifying to see such an outstanding breakout month for U.S. beef and pork exports,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Exports were off to a respectable start in 2021, considering the logistical and labor challenges the industry is facing and ongoing restrictions on the food service sector in many key markets. While these obstacles are not totally behind us, the March results show the situation is improving and the export totals better reflect the strong level of global demand for U.S. red meat.”
While muscle cuts certainly drove March export growth, Halstrom was also encouraged by a rebound in shipments of beef and pork variety meat.
“The tight labor situation at the plant level has been especially hard on variety meat volumes,” Halstrom said. “But March variety meat exports matched last year’s performance for pork and were the largest of 2021 on the beef side. It’s important that the capture rate for variety meat continues to improve, as this is a critical component of the export product mix.”
Beef exports soar to Korea and China, rebound in Latin America
Beef export value, USMEF reported, equated to $348.66 per head of fed slaughter in March, up 13% from a year ago, pushing the first quarter average to $335.45 per head (up 6%). March exports accounted for 14.7% of total beef production and 12.5% for muscle cuts, up from 13.9% and 11.3%, respectively, last year. The first quarter ratios were 14.1% of total beef production (up slightly from a year ago) and 11.9% for muscle cuts (up from 11.4%).
Beef exports to South Korea, according to the USMEF, were strong again in March at 24,104 mt, up 7% from a year ago, valued at $175.9 million (up 6%). For the first quarter, exports were 8% ahead of last year’s pace in both volume (68,996 mt) and value ($503.9 million), making Korea this year’s leading value destination for U.S. beef. Korea is buying more U.S. chuck roll, short plate, shoulder clod and loin cuts even as imports from Australia also trend higher, reflecting the country’s strong demand for beef.
March beef exports to China were far above last year’s low totals and reached a new monthly record of 14,552 mt, valued at $109.9 million, reported the USMEF. This pushed first quarter exports more than 1,500% above last year’s pace in both volume (31,058 mt) and value ($234.1 million), and exports increased about 25% from the strong fourth quarter of 2020. U.S. beef accounted for 3.4% of China’s first quarter imports, up from less than 1% at this time last year, and the U.S. is now the largest supplier of grain-fed beef to China. Additional U.S. plants were approved for export to China in April, raising the prospects for further growth in coming months.
High volumes of corn exports to China is also one of the factors for the increase in corn prices. China is rebuilding its hog herd, which was hit hard by disease.
Japan remains the top volume market for U.S. beef, the USMEF said, with first quarter exports 9% below last year’s pace at 75,409 mt, valued at $485.2 million (down 7%). March exports were impacted by a higher safeguard tariff rate, which was triggered March 18 and remained in effect for 30 days. The tariff rate for U.S. beef muscle cuts is now 25%, down from the 38.5% rate imposed during the safeguard period and mirroring the rate Japan has applied to imports from other major suppliers since April 1.
Other first-quarter results for U.S. beef exports include:
— Beef exports to Mexico were down slightly from a year ago in March at 17,797 mt, but increased 3% in value to $82 million. For the first quarter, exports to Mexico were 14% below last year’s pace at 51,131 mt valued at $245.1 million (down 17%).
— Led by a record month for Honduras and strong growth in Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador, first quarter beef exports to Central America climbed 22% from a year ago to 5,223 mt, valued at $30.4 million (up 25%).
— March beef exports to Taiwan were the largest of 2021 at 4,905 mt, but still declined 14% from a year ago. For the first quarter, exports to Taiwan were 20% below last year’s record pace at 12,543 mt, valued at $118.3 million (down 13%). However, Taiwan’s first quarter imports of U.S. chilled beef were up 8% from a year ago and U.S. chilled beef market share increased from 74% to 78%.
— Sharply higher shipments to Colombia pushed first quarter beef exports to South America to 6,903 mt, up 4% from a year ago, with value up 11% to $34.5 million. First quarter exports to leading market Chile increased 3% to 2,510 mt, with value jumping an impressive 39% to $19 million, with March shipments rebounding to the highest level since 2019.
— March beef exports to the Philippines set a new record at 2,091 mt, up 16% from a year ago. Led by growth in the Philippines and Indonesia, the ASEAN region was a first quarter bright spot for U.S. beef variety meat, with exports up 12% in volume (4,603 mt) and 11% in value ($9.8 million).
May 09, 2021 at 07:00PM
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Exports set new records: Gov. Pete Ricketts declares May Beef Month in Nebraska - Grand Island Independent
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