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U. S. BEEF percent to become the third larg- The Midwest Cattleman · March 11, 2021 · P12
continued from page 3 est destination for U.S. Though
the data for China and Hong port markets for U.S.
South Korea combined to account Kong are reported separately, it is beef. The remaining 10
for 51 percent of total beef exports important to look at the total for percent of beef exports
in 2020. the two since they are effective- includes small amounts
Mexico was the third larg- ly one market now. Individually, to 120 different coun-
est U.S. beef export market from beef exports to China increased tries. Most of this re-
2014-2019 but dropped sharply in by 271.0 percent year over year in maining total includes
2020 due to pandemic impacts and 2020, more than offsetting a 4.7 exports to a broad set
macroeconomic weakness. Total percent year over year decrease of countries such as the
exports to Mexico were down 24.7 in beef exports to Hong Kong. Philippines, Indonesia,
percent year over year in 2020. Beef exports to Canada in- the Netherlands, Chile,
Beef exports to Mexico were down creased 6.8 percent in 2020 from Guatemala, Singapore,
an average of more than 56 per- the previous year and is the fifth Columbia and the Ba-
cent year over year for each of the largest beef export market. Tai- hamas. the China/Hong Kong market and
months from April-September but wan is the number six market U.S. beef exports are expect- recovery of beef exports to Mexico.
finished the year strong with No- for U.S. beef and was unchanged ed to increase modestly in 2021
vember and December exports up from year earlier levels in 2020. to reach the second highest level
by 50.7 percent year over year. Beef exports to Taiwan jumped behind the 2018 export record.
Combined beef exports to China sharply in 2018, adding to an in- Keys to export growth include
and Hong Kong increased 28.8 creasingly diverse portfolio of ex- continued growth in exports to

5 TAKEAWAYS While the restaurant business boundary of a pasture, and it will They’ve made it clear we won’t get
continued from page 3 was decimated last year, he says give you exact distances, and the there without cattle production.”
economy as COVID-19 vaccina- food sales at grocery stores were exact acreage of the field. Woodall praised the new chair-
“A lot of times we don’t know man of the House agriculture
up nearly 13%. Grocery store beef
tions roll out, and businesses re- sales for at-home meals have done the exact numbers,” Gilley says. committee, David Scott, a Dem-
open. Kevin Good of the market especially well. “This app can help you order in- ocrat from Georgia. “He always
outlook firm CattleFax predicted puts such as fertilizer or seed, asks us, ‘What can I do for my cat-
a $10-per-hundredweight bump 3. Just change breeds. purchase fence supplies, or com- tle friends?’” Woodall says. “The
in prices, with much of that com- Cow/calf producers, particular- pute crop yields.” extremes in either party typically
ing in the second half of 2021. ly small and medium size ones, He also likes Good Earth Pro don’t help agriculture. It’s in the
That would put fed cattle prices at struggle with maintaining hetero- (free) for creating pasture and middle.”
about $119 for the year, topping at sis – crossbred vigor – in their cow field maps. It even works better
$126 in the fourth quarter. Feed- herds. That’s because they tend for him on the larger screen desk- agriculture.com
er calves will range from $160 to to like a breed or color and stick top site, rather than the mobile
$180, with tops in the early sum- with it in bull selection year after app. One other grazing app he re- LIFE
mer grass season. One bit of good year. Darrh Bullock, a beef ge- ally likes is Graze OK (free from continued from page 5
news for beef, added Good, is that netics Extension expert from the Oklahoma State) for estimating
poultry supplies will level off. University of Kentucky, and John forage availability in pastures. fell and spilled the water, you
“That’s a trend change,” Genho of the beef genomics com- only hoped it was early on in
Good says. “Poultry supplies have pany Neogen, offered producers a 5. Biden: So far, so good. your trip, so you wouldn’t have
gone up 2% to 2.5% every year for couple of ways they can improve Make no mistake, the cattle wasted all those steps.
the last several years, but not this heterosis. industry leans hard right politi- I can remember my hands
year. Total meat supplies will be One is to buy composite bulls cally. But cattle industry repre- and feet being so cold after mak-
down about 3 pounds per capita, made up of at least two breeds to sentatives in Washington, D.C., ing a few treks to the barns, that
to 218 pounds. That’s price sup- diversify the genetics of offspring, think there’s reason for optimism I would want to cry and quit,
portive.” compared with a purebred bull. in working with Biden adminis- but I knew if I did, it would only
2. Pandemic lessons. Beefmaster and Santa Gertrudis trators. Ethan Lane, the NCBA’s make more trips required for
are examples. Ranches that follow government affairs director, says my parents and sister, so I kept
Coronavirus exposed one big this approach can, relatively eas- early indicators are that they are on. Besides, Dad would have
vulnerability of the beef industry: ily, maintain at least 50% hetero- in the friend-making business. warmed my backside, had I com-
the concentration of beef slaugh- sis in the herd long-term, explains “They are trying hard to reach plained—and I didn’t want to
ter and processing in a few big Genho, and even maintain a fa- out and engage with us,” Lane warm up in that way.
plants. Purdue University meat vored hide color of black or red. says. “We will have a seat at the After a few minutes of medi-
industry economist Jayson Lusk “And if you just change your table with them. Some people tation and reflection, on how it
says that just 10 plants harvest breed of bull every four years, think Biden’s executive actions was in the good old days, I decid-
63% of all cattle in the country, you can get near 50% heterosis,” will wipe out four years of regu- ed that turning on the hydrant,
and 15 hog plants handle 59% added Bullock. Sometimes, it latory gains under the previous up by the house, then sitting
of the hogs. That presents a bot- may pay to buy F-1 replacement administration, but that doesn’t in the heated cab of my tractor,
tleneck in the meat industry be- heifers from a heifer developer, appear to be the case. Take a deep watching the water hose fill bar-
tween producers and consumers. Genho says. “She may cost more breath and relax.” rels and milk cans, wasn’t nearly
“At one point last summer, we than those you grow yourself, but Colin Woodall, the CEO of as tough as those youthful days
were down 40% in meat packing it could be worth it.” NCBA, acknowledged that many of drawing water from an old
volume from the year before,” ranchers may be skeptical of well and carrying them, by hand.
Lusk says. “Each plant is very 4. Tech for pastures. Biden, but encouraged them to I also promised my wife that
impactful. Maybe we should have Virginia rancher Jacob Gil- give him a chance. “The reception I would quit complaining and
more medium and small proces- ley likes technology, but only if it we’ve had so far has been far bet- whining…about the water prob-
sors. We’d be more resilient in a actually helps him manage the ter than in the early days of the lem, at least. Can’t make that
crisis.” farm more effectively. He high- Obama administration,” he says. same assurance about other ca-
Despite that, the beef industry lighted several mobile apps he “Biden people see agriculture not lamities that are occurring at
weathered 2020 relatively well, has on his phone that are simple as the problem, but rather the the present.
Lusk indicates. “Wholesale beef and effective. One is called GPS solution to such things as sus-
demand is 15% higher right now Fields Area Measure, a free app tainability and climate change.
than this time two years ago.” from Google. It lets you walk the