Beefmasters Go International

The BBU International Committee led by Co-Chairs Lorenzo Lasater and Doyle Sanders held a meeting this past week at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  A lot of work has been accomplished over the past few years by this committee and the successes are paying off.  Visitors to BBU events this year during the HLSR included special foreign guests from Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Thailand, Italy, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Bulgaria.  A large number of buyers at the three BBU sales during the HLSR represented almost half of the total number of lots going to Mexico at high value pricing.

Over the past two years, BBU has garnered over $1.25 million per year on export sales just to Mexico.  The Live Oak Bull Sale at Three Rivers in 2014 had half of the bulls sold to Mexican buyers from consignors from over eight states of BBU membership.  In addition, Mexican buyers have attended sales outside Texas as far as Tennessee.  BBU intends to work with our membership states with USLGE support for international marketing to increase interest in such sales in Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, and others.

A special program is being developed to increase international sponsorship and participation from the overall membership of BBU.  The BBU “Go International Team” is being planned with incentives for sponsors to help promote their international capabilities through special recognition and participation in marketing, ranch visits, mission or reverse mission  field days, Semen Sales, and opportunities for travel with International Committee members.  Ultimately a special International Committee sale around the Best of Both Worlds theme may be developed only for international sponsor consignors.

Beefmaster cattle are increasingly in demand overseas for the genetic benefits that they provide.  Beefmasters have proven highly successful in Mexico and South Africa regions that have also resulted in invitations from Thailand in 2009 and some Central European nations in 2013.  Meeting that demand will increase market opportunities for Beefmaster breeders throughout the United States and across other foreign countries.   Every BBU member will benefit from this participation under the BBU “Go International Team”.