A group of corn and beef producers from Iowa and Nebraska finished an Asian trade mission this weekend in Korea by holding meetings with retailers, distributors, cold storage operators and packer representatives. They also observed retail beef sampling promotion at an E-Mart outlet outside of Seoul. Producers feel it’s important to remain committed to the Korean market and the industry’s investment in rebuilding beef market share despite obstacles - such as lack of consumer acceptance.

Producer David Hamilton - representing the Nebraska Beef Council - said Korean consumers have the impression that producers export different beef than they feed to their own families. He said the trade mission was a great opportunity for producers to work together to capitalize on one of their best assets - the high-quality, grain-fed beef they export from the U.S. Iowa Producer Merle Unkrich - representing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board - said the increasing costs of other proteins in the region could open new doors for U.S. beef. Hamilton says the U.S. has the greatest potential to gain volume and value in exports in the Japanese and Korean markets.