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Central Illinois corn farmer sees benefit to boosting meat exports

A central Illinois farmer says checkoff investments into expanding meat exports are paying off.

John Klemm, who raises corn, soybeans, and cattle in DeWitt County and serves as a director on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, says a recent mission trip to Japan with the U.S. Meat Export Federation was eye-opening.

“I was in Tokyo.”  He says, “We toured processing facilities, met with representatives from the embassy. We met with actual buyers. We just continued to be exposed to and learn what it is that the Japanese market is looking for.”

He tells Brownfield that USMEF has been promoting U.S. products in Japan for 50 years, so it’s a mature market, but one where growth is still possible.

“One of their premier products is beef tongue and the intestine, and we group all that together calling it variety meats.”  He says, “Culturally, that’s already an item that they highly choose. On the flip side, that’s cuts of the animal that we in the U.S. do not use, so it’s a great relationship.”

Klemm says corn farmers supporting the efforts of livestock producers to expand their markets boosts profitability for both sectors.

“By feeding additional livestock and exporting additional livestock, that’s going to move more corn,” he says.

He says building and maintaining stable trading relationships is vital for the sustainability of all sectors of agriculture.

AUDIO: John Klemm – Illinois farmer