Nothing says customer satisfaction like return business, especially when the purchase is as substantial as cattle, and the buyer and seller are 5,000 miles apart.

In December, 2007, Turkish buyers purchased more than 1,800 bred Holstein, Angus and Hereford heifers through Culpeper, Virginia exporter T. K. Exports, Inc. With assistance from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, exporter Gordon Thornhill had assembled a shipment of cattle that met the buyers’ stringent requirements.

Less than seven months later, the same exporter, again working with VDACS, repeated the process, shipping more than 1,000 Black Angus beef heifers and 1,000 bred Holstein heifers to waiting purchasers in Turkey.

In addition to testing, weight, production and genetic specifications, the Turkish customers added another must-have for their second shipment. They specified fall calving heifers which meant an additional challenge since 75 percent of Virginia cattle calve in the spring. By scouring the state, VDACS Livestock Marketing staff members, working with the exporter, found excellent candidates in Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Campbell, Culpeper, Fauquier, Giles, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Page, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Rockbridge, Tazewell and Orange counties as well as Southwest Virginia locales. Representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture made the final selections.

Pittsylvania County father/son cattle producers Henry and Hank Maxey were pleased to add an international flavor to their sales.

Hank Maxey comments, “[This sale] really, really helped the bred heifer market this year. It put a lot more dollars in the pockets of commercial calf guys in Virginia. It’s a good program for the state and hopefully it can build every year.”

Cattleman George Winn of Gretna termed the sale very timely and beneficial to counteract the weak market.

According to VDACS Commissioner Todd P. Haymore, the sale of cattle to an international buyer is a very positive sign of the times for Virginia agriculture.

He says, “We have definitely added a global perspective to marketing Virginia’s outstanding agricultural products. Cattle is only one of the Virginia commodities sought by overseas customers. Buyers in Mexico have purchased our Christmas trees; buyers in Cuba have bought our apples; and buyers in Canada, China, Russia, Germany and South Korea have purchased Virginia poultry, livestock, wheat, feed grains, cotton and vegetables. Expanding international sales will provide increased economic benefits for Virginia’s farmers and strengthen the overall economy of the Commonwealth.”

In 2006, cattle and calves ranked number two among agricultural commodities in Virginia with cash receipts of $426,086,000.