The campaign, funded by the USDA Market Access Programme (MAP) and the Pork Checkoff, included in-store demonstrations and tasting samples of grilled US pork loin chops and ribs.

H-E-B, which has 51 locations across Mexico, is one of the regional supermarket chains USMEF is working with to help educate Mexican consumers about the quality and value of US pork.

“The strategy at H-E-B was to reach out to supermarket customers and share with them information about the product, with the ultimate goal being to further penetrate the retail market,” said USMEF Marketing Director Gerardo Rodriguez.

“Talking to the Mexican shoppers and offering them ideas for preparing and cooking pork is one step, then giving them actual samples and letting them taste US pork that has been properly cooked is the perfect next step. The promotions were an effort to capture the shoppers’ attention and let them experience the product firsthand.”

During the promotions, USMEF set up a booth and US pork banners in the meat department of each supermarket. Customers were able to stop at the USMEF display and learn about the attributes and characteristics of US pork.

Brochures with recipes and suggestions on how to cook US pork were distributed while US pork loin chops, baby back ribs and St. Louis ribs and were grilled and handed out for the customers to sample.

Sales of US pork increased at each of the participating supermarkets during the campaign, Mr Rodriguez noted.

Expanding US pork sales in the retail sector is part of USMEF’s effort to continue the positive momentum it has built in Mexico. Final results from 2016 show US pork export volume to Mexico was 730,316 metric tons, a 2 per cent gain over 2015.

Export value totaled $1.36 billion, up 7 per cent year-over-year and the second-highest on record, trailing only the $1.56 billion mark reached in 2014.