At the recent U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Spring Conference, USMEF Caribbean Representative Liz Wunderlich updated members on marketing strategies and activities for U.S. lamb in the region, which are made possible through support from the USDA Market Access Program and the Lamb Checkoff.
?In the Caribbean region, U.S. lamb is at least two times the price of New Zealand and Australia lamb, but it’s definitely a high-quality product,? Wunderlich said. ?It has that milder buttery, grain fed type flavor. So we are the Lamborghini and New Zealand and Australia there the Ford and Chevy. I’d rather sell the Lamborghini any day. We are also pretty low on supply – 5 million head versus 26 million for New Zealand and 71 million head in Australia. We’re definitely a niche market, but that’s okay. All we need to do is find out who is interested in being the Lamborghini of the Caribbean. The other thing I looked at is what is our competition selling? Pretty much two things: racks and bone-in legs. That’s what you found in every case. That’s what you found on their menus. So instead of trying to go head-to-head where the price is so evident, we go after the underutilized cuts and then we look for recipes within the contemporary Caribbean cuisine portfolio that can be used at high end restaurants.?
Wunderlich also highlighted an upcoming promotion in the Jamaican retail sector.
?We also really work on trying to share merchandising ideas, so I grabbed from every place I can think of so Father’s Day lamb is going to Jamaica for the weekend. We are launching sirloin Denver ribs and lamb bellies and when you buy it, you’re going to get this beautiful, insulated bag in great Caribbean colors that says ‘Ewe will love American lamb.’?
For more information, visit usmef.org.
