U.S. cattle producer sees great opportunity in China's beef market

(Photo/pixabay.com)

FORSYTH, the United States, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Proud of their natural flavored, fully traceable beef, the U.S. cattle farmers are eager to compete for the promising Chinese market and send more of their product halfway across the globe.

"It's a very high quality product, our product consistently grades high choice and prime, which is the best grade of beef," James Vaughn told Xinhua , "we think it's the best product in the world by far, and we would like the Chinese public to be able to enjoy it like we do."

With 35 years of farming experience and more than 5,000 acres of land, Vaughn is a cowboy, an attorney, as well as the 2018 Georgia farmer of the year. In his eyes, China market is a great opportunity not only for him, but also for all his fellow U.S. farmers.

NEW MARKET MATTERS FOR CATTLE FARMERS

As an upstream supplier of U.S. beef exporter, Vaughn recalled a memory of hope in late 2017. In early November of that year, Xinhua reported the first export of U.S. beef to China in more than 13 years, after China banned U.S. beef in December 2003 when the mad cow disease spread across U.S. cattle farms.

"I think that was the first American beef that had gone into China in a very long time," Vaughn said in his iconic American cowboy hat, jeans and boots, "and so we're hopeful."

However, that hope was clouded by the trade tensions between the United States and China, which already took toll on some of the U.S. farmers and ranchers.

"Our product is not moving in that direction," said Vaughn, "and I would like to see that change because we need an increased market for our product."

In Vaughn's eyes, a new market for American beef is not only critical for today's cattle farming business in Georgia, but also for the new generation of U.S. farmers.

"I think the feedlot industry has been shrinking, and I think that the production industry on my end has been shrinking over the last few years," said Vaughn, "some because of weather events, some because farmers like me are getting older."

"But I think there is a large group of young people like my sons that would very much like to be able to join farming," said Vaughn, "and having better markets is the way to assure them to be able to do that."

WAYS TO ENSURE QUALITY AND SAFETY

Like many cattle farmers in Georgia, the Vaughn family worked for generations to bring the best beef they could produce out of their farms.

To ensure the best quality, Vaughn said his cattle must go through verifications conducted by a third party before it could be exported to European or Chinese market.

These verifications require cattle farmers like Vaughn to keep accurate age record, maintain a reliable source of its cattles, and avoid using growth hormones.

Even as growth hormone is considered safe to treat the cattle in the United States, it is the primary concern for European and Chinese beef consumers.

"So we have a third party verification company," said Vaughn, "and they are approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to verify."