URUGUAY
BEEF TO SOUTH KOREA.
The government of Uruguay and the government of south Korea, have finalized arrangements to allow grass fed beef from Uruguay to be exported to South Korea.
Inspectors from South Korea arrived in Montevideo last Sunday, to inspect the beef plants and holds final meetings with the government.
The president of the Uruguayan Meat Institute Luis Fratti,said, " we are already permitted to export processed and cooked meat to South Korea and this is the next stage".
While some Korean supermarkets are now stocking US beef again, the demand for free range grass fed cattle is a niche market that suits Uruguay.
The US beef exporters have filled all the Korean cold stores with beef, in the hope of keeping Australian and New Zealand, grain fed cattle out of the market.
Despite all the hype in the media over the easy passage of US beef in Korea, reality shows that week ending 27 November, only 576 tons of US beef was exported, or 28 containers, as the cold store system in South Korea is overflowing with unsold American beef.
Australia are launching a beef promotion campaign In South Korea, for early 2009 in order to hold on to market share.
