Hanwoo (Korean beef) will soon be heading overseas. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs revealed that the quarantine procedures to export domestic beef, including Hanwoo, to Hong Kong are in the final procedures. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov.10 (Korea Bizwire) – Hanwoo (Korean beef) will soon be heading overseas. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs revealed that the quarantine procedures to export domestic beef, including Hanwoo, to Hong Kong are in the final procedures.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, full-scale discussions with Hong Kong have been taking place since March. In April, risk assessment evaluations were finished, certificates for quarantine and sanitation were agreed on in June, the working yard for exports was registered in August, and a local site survey was done by experts from Hong Kong in October.
Of note, two government experts from Hong Kong visited Korea last month as part of final procedures for approving the exports. They checked slaughter houses, processing facilities, farms, labs and animal feed factories to see if they were qualified.
The government of Hong Kong is currently discussing the results of the inspection, and if everything is approved, the quarantine procedures between Korea and Hong Kong are expected to end.
Once the procedures are finished, beef produced from areas where foot-and-mouth disease has not occurred could be exported to Hong Kong.
If the deal is confirmed, it would be the first time Korean beef is being exported.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expressed that it would be instructing and supervising the products and workings to start and continue the trade of Korean beef with Hong Kong.
Previous discussions related to the export of Korean beef to Hong Kong were stopped in 2014 because of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. However, after the government continued to approach Hong Kong, talks started again in January.
By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
