A delegation of corn and beef producers from Iowa and Nebraska wrapped up its Asian trade mission this weekend with a series of events in South Korea. The group had several meetings with retailers, distributors, cold storage operators and packer representatives, and capped off its Korean itinerary with an outdoor barbecue held by USMEF at a large Korean discount store. The event offered great opportunities for face-to-face interaction with Korean consumers and a chance to personally promote the safety and quality of U.S. beef.
The group arrived in Korea June 25 after participating in similar events in Japan last week. The delegation included rancher David Hamilton of Thedford, Neb., representing the Nebraska Beef Council and corn producer Merle Unkrich (pronounced UNK-ritch) of Winfield, Iowa, representing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board – the producers interviewed for this report.
The neighboring markets of Japan and Korea both hold great potential for U.S. beef exports, and at one time they were the No. 1 and No. 3 beef export markets respectively. But Hamilton found many contrasts between the two countries in terms of the business climate for U.S. beef.
Despite the challenges facing U.S. beef in Korea, Unkrich says corn and beef producers must remain committed to promotions targeting this potentially lucrative market.
Nebraska, Iowa Producers Report from Korea Trade Mission
The delegation also included Mark Jagels of Davenport, Neb., and Alan Tiemann of Seward, Neb., representing the Nebraska Corn Board and Kevin and Terri Carstensen of Odebolt, Iowa, representing the Iowa Beef Industry Council.
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.