The American cowboy driving cattle on the open range and cooking a beef dinne...
The American cowboy driving cattle on the open range and cooking a beef dinner over an open fire were images nearly 3 million consumers watched on South Korea television thanks to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Two 10-minute programs were broadcast on the highly-rated World Morning show of the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) to help rebuild consumer confidence in the safety of U.S. beef.
The discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States on December 23, 2003, negatively affected the image of U.S. beef in Korea. Local media exaggerated the BSE case, resulting in a loss of consumer confidence in U.S. beef safety.
As negotiations to reopen the Korean market to U.S. beef continue, the USMEF office in Korea recognized a need to report the other side of U.S. beef Korean media outlets failed to show.
USMEF and the KBS production team traveled to Texas to produce two episodes showing the story of U.S. beef originating with the American cowboy, a hardworking and honest way of life still practiced in Texas today.
Ranches where cows are raised on vast plains and steakhouses where Americans trust and enjoy U.S. beef helped Korean consumers see the standards U.S. producers follow to create a high-quality product. The Texas Beef Council provided help with scheduling and information for USMEF and the KBS team.
The first episode showed the history of the American cowboy featuring a chuck wagon meal with rancher Pete Bonds who sliced and cooked steak over an open fire, serving it with potatoes and beans. “This is the way we love to eat,” Bonds said.
A rodeo competition showed skills cowboys since the 1800s have developed to tame wild horses, drive in cattle and rope cows for treating injuries or marking ownership. The strong and enduring heritage of cowboys caring for cattle emphasizes to Korean consumers that U.S. beef comes from hardworking ranchers who care about the product they produce.
The second episode, airing a week later, featured a visit to a Texas steakhouse where American consumers eating and enjoying U.S. beef were interviewed. “The most popular steak in Texas is the rib-eye. People love it because of good marbling,” steakhouse owner Tom Perini said.
This episode also showed cows grazing in the open fields of the Donald Brown ranch, a four-generation family farm that breeds highly-valued Angus cows. A stockyard in Fort Worth, once called the “Wall Street of the West,” was featured as the center of Texas livestock industry. Symbols of cows are everywhere in Texas – on state license plates and government vehicles.
In 2003, Korea was the third largest market for U.S. beef and beef variety meat. The United States exported 246,595 metric tons (mt) of beef and beef variety meat to Korea in 2003 valued at $814.6 million, 26 percent higher than 2002.
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 –
The following photos are available with this release.
Photo 1– Texas ranches provide wide-open spaces and clean air for cattle to graze, which produces a high-quality and safe end product.
Photo 2– Cowboy traditions are still practiced and passed down to younger generations in Texas.
Photo 3 – The chuck wagon meal featuring U.S. beef is still a favorite at the Pete Bonds Ranch. Bonds said marbling makes U.S. beef the tastiest in the world.
