Since the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) opened its Meat Education and R...

Since the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) opened its Meat Education and Research Center (MERC) in Seoul in July 2000, the U.S. industry share of South Korea’s beef import market has increased from 56 percent in 2000 to 63 percent in 2002, a USMEF-led team discovered on a trip to South Korea and Japan this month. The MERC has emphasized U.S. chilled beef in its education programs, and U.S. chilled beef exports to South Korea have risen from 5,822 metric tons (mt) in 2000 to more than 15,000 mt so far in 2002. 

The team found that, to date, the USMEF MERC has trained nearly 3,000 participants from South Korean retail stores, hotels and restaurants, and clients of U.S. packers in programs lasting from one to five days. The training emphasizes food handling procedures, safety, meat-cutting demonstrations, and red meat presentation styles, all linked to available U.S. beef cuts and how best to make their utilization profitable. When a retail store sends a staff team to receive training at the MERC, in-store promotion assistance from USMEF is offered as a follow-up to the training.  Staff from restaurants including TGI Fridays, Tony Roma’s and the Outback Steakhouse have all received training at the MERC. 

The MERC is funded in part by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the National Pork Board (NPB), U.S. grain organizations and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).  The MERC training programs are classified into four sectors:

1.  Trade course (1,040 participants trained)              2.   Hotels and Restaurants (293 participants trained) 3.   Retail (1,325 participants trained) 4.   Consumers (284 participants trained)

Following an overview of the MERC, the beef team viewed a cutting demonstration involving short ribs, chuck ribs and finger meat.  From 50-60 percent of U.S. beef imported to Korea is from the rib.  The value added through export is tenfold with certain rib cuts. Following the cutting demonstration, the team viewed some training in progress, and participated in a 15-minute question-and-answer session. The beef team was then given an honorary certificate of completion from the MERC meat school; a group photo (which can be viewed at USMEF’s Web site at http://www.usmef.org/photoGallery/pics/02_Japan-Korea_BeefTradeTea.jpg) completed the graduation process. The 15 participants represented the following U.S. agriculture organizations: Nebraska Corn Promotion Board, Nebraska Beef Council, Missouri Beef Council, Kansas Corn Commission, Oklahoma Beef Council and Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

Other photos of the team visit are available at:
http://www.usmef.org/photoGallery/pics/PA13661151094.jpg,
http://www.usmef.org/photoGallery/pics/PA13661151088.jpg and
http://www.usmef.org/photoGallery/pics/PA136611510127.jpg

The U.S., in the first nine months of 2002, has already broken its 2000 record for beef exports to Korea. In 2000, U.S. beef exports (including variety meats) to Korea totaled 159,238 metric tons (mt). In the first nine months of 2002, the U.S. has already exported 180,255 mt of beef and beef variety meats to Korea, a 95 percent increase over Jan.-Sept. 2001.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation 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, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

-- USMEF --