DENVER — Members of the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) are gathering in Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 6-8 for the association’s annual Strategic Planning Conference.

The opening general session will kick off with an up-to-date analysis on the impact of the presidential election and its potential effects on US trade policy, featuring Jim Wiesemeyer, a renowned journalist and Washington, DC, insider.

While the United States is undergoing changes in leadership, so are key trading partners, including a new administration in Mexico. Mateo Diego, one of Mexico’s leading trade experts, will discuss the new administration and offer his perspective on US-Mexico trade relations.

The general session on Thursday will feature Dave Juday, founder and principal of The Juday Group, who will give an overview of geopolitics in relation to US agriculture and exports.

Friday’s closing session will welcome back Wiesemeyer for additional updates on the election as the consequences become clearer.

Additionally, USMEF’s international team will explain how they are leveraging Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) funds to expand global demand for US red meat and further diversify export markets.

Randy Spronk, USMEF chair and pork and grain producer from Minnesota said, RAPP funds have allowed the expansion of resources in developing markets like Indonesia.

“We’ve got some opportunities here to create more diversification in some of these new markets here,” he said.

On top of the general sessions, the Beef, Pork, Exporter, and Feedgrain/Oilseed breakouts will offer detailed discussions on topics pertinent to each sector.

Spronk, as he is closing out his term of leadership with USMEF, will lead a panel on the importance of farmers and industry leaders seeing firsthand the markets served by USMEF and forging personal relationships with trading partners. Panelists include Ross Havens of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Bob Ruth of the National Pork Board and Don Pemberton of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. 

“It’ll be great to hear Bob and Ross and their commentary on traveling internationally with USMEF, and the take-homes that they have that they can actually then convey to producers on why it’s important to support USMEF,” Spronk said. “And obviously Don Pemberton — Don and I were in Korea and Japan a year ago on our Heartland Tour, and it was really interesting to see Don cooking steak in Korea with bloggers … And so, there again, it’s a producer from Kentucky telling his story of how he raises beef and then actually taking that product to Korea and cooking it.”