In an interview from the conference, Mr Caspers – a pork producer from Swaledale, Iowa – says that while he is very impressed with the progress China’s pork industry has made in recent years, he questions that nation’s ability to become self-sufficient in pork production.

While China is by far the world’s largest producer of pork, he feels there are several factors that will continue to make China an attractive export market for the United States and other pork-producing nations.

Mr Caspers, along with two fellow USMEF officers and CEO Philip Seng, traveled from China to South Korea to receive a briefing on demand for US beef in that key export market. They will conclude their time in Asia with a stop in Tokyo to assess the impact of the recent Japanese elections.

You can listen to the audio of USMEF Chairman Jon Caspers at the World Pork Conference by clicking here.