Kent Bacus, Manager of Legislative Affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), has a lot of important policies that he is working on in D.C. Since so many NCBA members who attended the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Florida have various policy issues on the top of their minds, I thought it was high-time I learned more about them from the man who lives and breaths policy.

Today, one of Bacus’ key focal points is trade. He said that currently the two top buyers of American beef are in North America – Mexico and Canada. From there, he said that the far East is our next biggest customer and Korea, Japan and Taiwan our the industry’s fastest growing markets. Why? They like to buy a lot of animal parts that American’s don’t have a taste for including beef tongue and short ribs.

Bacus said our exports are doing incredibly well and currently about 10 percent of our beef is exported but the value add of these exports are tremendous. About $150 to $200 per head is credited to exports alone and Bacus said imagine how much that will increase when new markets are opened up.

Speaking of new markets, there are several trade agreements sitting on President Obama’s desk that need to be signed. Once this happens, it will allow exports in several countries including Columbia and Panama and should give the industry a good foothold in South America.

Learn more about the future of beef exports in my interview with Kent Bacus:Cattle Association Trade Policy Update

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.