The Canadian Cattlemens Association is pleased with the news that South Korea is lifting it’s ban on Canadian beef under 30 months of age.

 

"We have been out of the market for a number of years," said CCA President Travis Toews. "It will take a little bit of time to start to establish significant volumes. However, Canadian beef is an incredibly high-quality product and is recognized that way around the world, so I'm completely confident that we will compete in that market."

 

Toews says Koreans like beef and have relatively high disposable income, and as a result, it’s a very important market for us: "Korean consumers are willing to pay significantly more than North American consumers for certain cuts and products."

 

Prior to 2003 and BSE, Korea was our fourth largest market. Today, 90% of the industry's market access has now been restored. The Canadian beef industry estimates that this restored access could mean more than $30 million a year by 2015.