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Expanding demand opportunities for underutilized cuts of beef

Tight supplies of U.S. beef create an opportunity to increase demand for underutilized cuts.

Dan Halstrom with the U.S. Meat Export Federation says the Beef Checkoff program and the USDA are providing support to promote these products aggressively. “We’ve had quite a bit of success on the different cuts within the round primal, the knuckles, insides, etc., and the outside round flats,” he says. “A lot of success in places like Taiwan, Korea, even in Mexico and Central America.”

He says with lower production, growing demand for these cuts has been a silver lining.  “It gives us an opportunity to really focus on and maximize the value of that carcass outside of the normal mix that a lot of these countries may buy,” he says.

Halstrom says the goal is to diversify demand for U.S. beef in as many markets as possible, and he anticipates the increased demand for these underutilized cuts and variety meats will likely remain – even when U.S. production rebounds.