ACCRA, Ghana (RFD NEWS) — Demand for U.S. meat is growing globally, and West Africa is becoming an emerging market.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is working to build that demand in Ghana, where recent tasting events gave local buyers a chance to experience American beef firsthand.
Chad Carney, U.S. Meat Export Federation Africa Director of Marketing, says getting people to try the product is key.
“Words and pamphlets and presentations are useful and have their place, but especially in the meat game, tasting is believing.”
At a two-night event in Accra, a live-fire chef prepared a variety of cuts, including brisket, sirloin, ribeye, and T-bone steaks.
Carney says the impact is already showing, with expectations that more than $250,000 worth of U.S. beef could reach local markets in the coming months, with room to grow.
Ann Marie Bosshamer, Executive Director of the Nebraska Beef Council, says expanding into newer markets is important for the industry.
“We love Japan, Korea, Taiwan all of those places that have been buying our beef for many years, but we also know through a lot of great research that USMEF provides, that we need to look at different places.”
She says regions like Africa offer strong potential as more consumers are introduced to U.S. grain-fed beef.
“The opportunities that we have when we look at places like Africa and the ASEAN region. There’s so many more people there, and they are not always familiar with the grain-fed beef that we have here. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of Nebraska agriculture to be able to extend our product into those markets.”
The Nebraska Beef Council donated the beef for the event, with additional support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USMEF says early investments in Ghana are already paying off as interest continues to grow.
The event was funded by the Beef Checkoff and USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.
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