Jagels elected officer of U.S. Meat Export Federation

Nebraska Corn Board member Mark Jagels, a farmer from Davenport, has been elected secretary/treasurer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Mark Jagels at the recent USMEF meeting in Dallas.
Jagels was elected secretary/treasurer
of the organization at the meeting.

Jagels is a fourth generation farmer who farms with his father outside of Davenport, where he lives on the home place that was originally homesteaded in 1885. They are diversified producers who raise corn and soybeans, custom feed cattle and operate a trucking company. For several years he has served as a member of the USMEF executive committee representing feed grains, and has co-chaired USMEF’s Feed Grains & Oilseed Committee.

“I’m proud to be a part of a great organization that strives to open markets and increase sales around the world for U.S. beef and pork,” Jagels said in a news release. “I’ve seen firsthand how USMEF works in markets overseas, and its success positively impacts the bottom line of livestock producers here in Nebraska and across the country. That, in turn, helps ensure there is a solid feed market for Nebraska corn and distillers grains.”

USMEF encourages beef and pork exports via promotions and relationship building around the world. Estimates from USMEF show the value of meat exports have increased and are worth about $159 per head of cattle and $44 for each hog – and growing exports increases this value back to Nebraska and the country’s livestock producers.

“Mark is an excellent representative of the Nebraska Corn Board to serve on the USMEF executive committee,” said Don Hutchens, executive director for the Nebraska Corn Board. “It has been 24 years since we’ve had a board member serving as an officer on USMEF’s executive committee. It’s the commitment of farmers like Mark, and the funds of beef, pork, soybean and corn checkoff dollars that are matched with USDA and industry funds, that open the market to a world of potential buyers.”

Jagels, who has made several trips to promote U.S. beef and pork with importers, retailers, restaurant owners and consumers in several countries, noted that 95 percent of the world’s population resides outside the United States and that the competition is growing to deliver protein to them.

“It is critical to our long term agricultural survival to promote what we do best in the U.S. and that is produce high quality, safe food,” he said.