U.S. beef exports to Central America have gained momentum in recent months, fueled in part by promotional activities funded by the Beef Checkoff Program. Lucia Ruano, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) representative in Central America, recently updated cattle producers and other industry leaders on these activities. She cited BBQ Fest Costa Rica as a valuable annual event for the U.S. beef industry because of the positive exposure generated with barbecue enthusiasts and other influencers.
Ruano also discussed a campaign in Honduras that combined bus stop billboard advertising with U.S. beef training workshops for key restaurant staff in the cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. The importer who partnered with USMEF on the campaign reported very strong sales of U.S. beef at its retail outlets during the promotional period.
After a slow start to the year, beef exports to Costa Rica picked up this fall, including a record volume (637 metric tons) in October. January-October exports to Honduras increased 17% from a year ago to 2,122 metric tons and jumped 34% in value to $11.5 million.
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