Raising The Steaks

South Korea Rejects American Beef: Just one more fight

By: Leticia

December 23, 2003:  I remember sitting in the living room, waiting for my dad to give me the day’s orders when the phone rang.  On the other end of the line, a fellow rancher had called to tell us that they had found a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or more commonly known was mad cow disease, in a Holstein up in Washington state. 

All that I could think was, “What is gonna happen next?”  Earlier that morning I had just fed a pen full of bulls that we were getting ready to send to the Santa Teresa Border Crossing.  We had started these bulls on a conditioning program to get them up to par so that we could sell them at a sale that would send them to Mexico.  These bulls, just like any other cattle in the US headed out, had to be rerouted to a location that would not send them out of the country.  In no time at all, or at least it seemed to us, the American Beef Industry had been cut off to trade from the world.  At some points in time, I doubted that things would ever be the same.  Would we ever recover from this?

Fortunately, we have.  Though progress may be slow, it’s still progress.  Because of the efforts of the NCBA and several other cattle organizations, we have been able to regain trust in our product.  Slowly, but surely, country by country we have been able to export our beef products to them once again.  In fact, in late March of this year, the border was re-opened to our Southern neighbor to allow for trade of breeding cattle.  On May 7, the Santa Teresa Border Crossing was back in business!  For details on how the event went, click here.

But, just as my mom reminds me, the road to success is full of many bumps.  After much work, South Korea had opened trade to American beef on April 18 of this year.  Before 2003, beef imports in South Korea from American beef totaled $815 million.  We were hoping that by reopening their border, this could grow to a $1 billion industry.  However, this speculation was short lived.  The South Korean public has chosen to reject beef. 

The reasons?  Well, there is no one specific reason. On one side, you have people who were outraged with their president.  They saw this as just one more way of revolting against him.  Then, on the other, you have people that really are concerned with the safety of their food.  People were, and still remain, in shock and fear of mad cow diesease, when in fact, it presents no risk to public health.  The fear of BSE, which has been nicknamed mad cow disease, remains in people’s minds making them more vulnerable to listen to claims made my people attacking the beef industry. Visit the Center for Global Food Issues on the truth about mad cow disease.  Still, what ever the cause for South Korea revolting agains US beef, this truth remains:  The American beef industy is still fighting to recover from 2003. 

So what are we doing to see beef in the meat case at South Korean markets once again? Well, we have worked not only to assure South Korea, but other foreign countries as well, about the safety of our beef.  Out industry leaders are working hard to ensure that the name of beef is not tainted.

We have seen a lot over the past years.  From rising feed costs to beef recalls, there have been many trials for beef producers.  I have no doubt in my mind that we can make it through anything.   Our biggest tool we have to keep demand for beef up is diplomatic education.  At our work, in the store, or in our day to day lives, it is up to us to spread the word about beef.  The more educated we make our consumers, the more they understand our product and what we are about.  We have to stand up and tell people about the product that we produce:  Good, American beef!