Cowboys, cattle drives,
and juicy steaks—these are images long associated with
Kansas, even overseas. For many East Asians, cowboy movies
set in Dodge City evoke Kansas far more vividly than any
of our other accomplishments. More than just a romantic
image, however, the beef industry is also a powerful engine
in our state’s economy. The beef industry provides
employment and economic benefit to thousands of Kansans.
The industry supplies a huge domestic market and is
also
a major exporter.
After grain, beef is the second largest
export from Kansas, and Kansas ranks second in the
nation
in the value of live animals, beef, and hides exported
to foreign markets. A significant portion of that
beef is sent to East Asia. Japan is currently the top
foreign
market for Kansas beef (and for U.S. beef), and South
Korea is not far behind. Some experts believe that
China
will also purchase significant quantities of beef
from Kansas in the near future. The cattle drives of
today
send beef all the way to East Asia.
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Where are these East Asian markets
and what does Kansas beef represent there? We offer
an overview of the current trade relationships and also
a glimpse into the history of beef and cattle in Kansas
and in Japan, China, and Korea. Our goal is to provide
a historical perspective on our current relationships
with East Asia and the ways in which these relationships
are mutually beneficial.
We focus on beef as a meat product, and not on leather
or dairy. Leather is an important export from Kansas,
especially to China, but we will touch on it only briefly.
The United States exports dairy products to Asia, but
not in significant amounts from Kansas.
We have gathered our information from government reports,
academic publications, corporate announcements, and
interviews. We welcome additional information.
To download
and read about the Kansas beef industry and East
Asia in printed form,
see
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