USDA officially announced on Thursday that Taiwan has re-opened its market to U.S. beef. This comes as welcome news for beef producers, says Monte Reese, Chief Operating Officer of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

Cut #1    :14       Outcue: "...safest in the world."

Reese said the delay in getting some foreign markets re-opened has been frustrating, but says overseas consumers have made it clear that they want U.S. beef back on their table. 

Cut #2    :16       Outcue: "...know it’s a safe product."

Even while foreign markets have been closed, the Beef Checkoff Program has maintained a presence in promoting U.S. beef and working to ensure continued demand.

Cut #3    :32       Outcue: "...with checkoff dollars."

Reese noted that Egypt also recently re-opened to U.S. beef. And while these may not appear to be large export markets, producers should not underestimate the positive impact.

Cut #4    :31       Outcue: "...pockets of cattle producers."

The national Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, a group of 108 beef producers appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.  They represent producers from coast-to-coast and volunteer their time to help identify programs that can help increase beef demand.  The checkoff was created in the 1985 Farm Bill, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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