By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist
The World Meat Congress will hold their biennial meeting in Dallas from May 30—June 1. This marks the first time in more than 20 years the event will take place in the United States.
The International Meat Secretariat (IMS) and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) will host the 22nd World Meat Congress.
“The IMS is composed of representatives of about 30 countries, sharing information about how the industry can work together to be more trade-progressive,” Philip Seng, USMEF CEO Emeritus, said. “At the World Meat Congress, we expect to discuss and debate critical, timely issues related to globalization and economics, as well as the evolving priorities of our customers and how the red meat industry can better meet the needs of the consumer of tomorrow.”
Tracy Tomascik, associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities for Texas Farm Bureau, noted that Texas hosting this event is an opportunity to highlight the success of the meat industry in the Lone Star State and in the U.S.
“This is a rare and unique opportunity,” Tomascik said. “It just shows what we’ve done in the U.S. to promote the quality and safety of our products has been noticed around the world.”
IMS President Guillaume Roué said the organization is pleased to have the event back in the United States.
“We are excited to co-host this year’s conference with USMEF and anxious to bring the event to the United States at a time when the world is especially interested in the U.S. approach to agricultural trade,” Roué said.
Tomascik noted it is too early to tell what will come out of the 2018 World Meat Congress, but he said there are goals for the Texas meat industry.
“The goal for Texas is to highlight the uniqueness of our state and what our farmers and ranchers are able to produce,” Tomascik said.