The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) held its eighth annual Latin American Product Showcase June 27-28 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The event drew a record turnout of 190 buyers from 20 countries across the Caribbean, Central America and South America. On the exporter side, 54 USMEF member companies participated.

The showcase was conducted with funding support from the National Pork Board (NPB), the beef checkoff program, the Nebraska Beef Council, the Wisconsin Beef Council, the United Soybean Board and the Iowa Soybean Assn.

“Having been involved in this event from the outset, it’s remarkable to see how much it has expanded and developed over the past eight years,” USMEF president and chief executive officer Dan Halstrom said. “The showcase originated as a way of capitalizing on growing red meat demand and market access gains in Latin America by bringing buyers and sellers together at a single location. In a just a short time, it has blossomed into a can’t-miss event that sells out more quickly each and every year, and there is now a waiting list for exhibitors. This has happened for one simple reason: The showcase consistently delivers great results for participants.”

Mark Spengler of Greater Omaha Packing Co., a regular exhibitor at the showcase, emphasized that the quality of the business contacts sets it apart from similar events.

“The quality of the buyers that USMEF brings to this event and exposes to the U.S. supplier trade is really second to none,” Spangler said. “This is one of my favorite USMEF events anywhere in the world. I wouldn’t miss it for anything. And it’s not just a great event for suppliers; it’s also an amazing opportunity from the buyers’ perspective. If they can’t find a supplier here, I’m not sure where they would find one.”

First-time exhibitors also found the showcase to be extremely productive.

“I was really surprised by the magnitude of this event,” said Bob Giertz, international sales representative for Indiana Packers Corp., a premium pork supplier based in Delphi, Ind. “There was very strong interest from buyers in a wide range of our pork cuts. It was a great show for us, and we certainly plan to be back.”

Jevon Butler from Nassau, Bahamas, was a first-time participant as a buyer. As sales and marketing manager for Milo Butler Distributors, a family-owned business that supplies supermarkets and other retail outlets in the Bahamas, he found the showcase to be an excellent venue for establishing direct business relationships.

“What this showcase did for me was connect the dots,” Butler said. “Often, we deal with a middle man we’re purchasing from, but we never get to meet the packing houses; we don’t get to meet those suppliers. The showcase allowed us to see the entire integration -- the whole supply chain -- so we could get a better appreciation for how the meat is produced.”

Butler added that while the Bahamas is best known as a tourist destination, the local supermarket customers served by his clients are definitely seeking high-quality meat. “The reason is that these local residents are working in an environment that’s offering Prime grade and high quality,” Butler explained. “So, [after] working around it seven days a week, when they go home, they want the same thing, and they are willing to pay for it.”

Representatives of producer organizations that help fund the Latin American Product Showcase received a firsthand look at the business generated at the event. Ivan Rush, a cattle producer from Scottsbluff, Neb., and a member of the Nebraska Beef Council, said he was pleased to see the personal interaction between buyers and sellers at the showcase.

“People meeting people is very important in international trade, and seeing this level of activity – exporters renewing old acquaintances as well as meeting new customers – it’s very impressive,” Rush said. “We producers certainly depend on exports, and we know that they provide a tremendous amount of dollars back in our pockets. So, I’m really excited to see a strong future for exports, because that will continue to drive profitability for our operations.”

“The Latin American market is one that the National Pork Board leadership has designated as incredibly important for our international marketing activities,” said John Schwartz, a pig farmer from Sleepy Eye, Minn. “Having the opportunity to directly engage with nearly 200 leading meat buyers, see how our products are marketed and learn from the influencers in the room has been an invaluable experience.”

Schwartz noted that diversifying international destinations for U.S. pork is increasingly important, and investing in the Latin American region advances that goal.

“With the trade rifts we’re seeing and the recent increases in tariffs, diversifying our export markets is very important, and Latin America is a unique market. It’s an accumulation of a lot of smaller countries, but together, they present a huge opportunity,” Schwartz said.