A team of producers representing the pork, beef, corn and soybean industries visited Korea last week to see first-hand the investments the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is making in the market. Korea is the leading export market for U.S. beef, with purchases totaling $1.4 billion through July of this year (146,084 metric tons). Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chair Ryan Moorhouse, a cattle feeder from Amarillo, Texas, said he still sees room for continued growth as Koreans move away from rice and more towards a more protein-based diet.
Korea is the third largest export destination for U.S. pork muscle cuts at $422 million through July. Illinois Pork Producers Association President Josh Maschhoff said he thought the consumer switch from rice to a protein diet was evident.
The group visited foodservice and retail locations including Costco and E-Mart, toured the Port of Busan, and toured key importing companies such as Fresheasy, Frank Burger, and Highland Foods. Eddie Park, the chief operating officer of Highland Foods, said he specifically wanted to host the team in order to build relationships directly with U.S. farmers because his customers are demanding the quality and taste of U.S. beef and pork.
For more information, visit usmef.org.
