| Beef
Breeds—The native beef cattle in Korea are
known as Hanwoo. The average Hanwoo 18 month-old bull
weighs 477.1 kg. (about 1,050 pounds) and the average
18 month-old female weights 308.7 kg (about 680 pounds)
(FFTC 2001). This is smaller than many U.S. beef cattle.
A typical 18-month-old Angus steer, for example, weighs
at least 1,000 pounds and can weigh as much as 1,600 pounds.
During the early 1900s, Hanwoo were crossed with Simmental
to produce heavier cattle. Different breeding programs
crossed Hanwoo with Angus, Hereford, Brown Swiss, and
Charolais to improve the breed. A more recent program
has focused on crossing Hanwoo with Charolais (FFTC 2001).
Because most farms in Korea are small, often about
one hectare (about 2.5 acres), household cattle farmers
typically raise up to five head. There is a gradual
trend toward larger and fewer farms raising cattle.
Due to the low milk production of most Hanwoo cows,
calves are often given a calf starter supplement. After
weaning, Korean cattle are typically fed roughage, hay,
grass, and silage for 18 months. The roughage is often
rice straw, a readily available crop residue that is
sometimes ammoniated to improve nutritional value (FFTC
2001).
In 2000, beef cattle farmers in Korea began reducing
the herd size, in anticipation of increased foreign
competition after the planned liberalization of the
beef market in Korea in January 2001. To maintain the
size of the national herd and increase stability in
the market, the Korean government implemented the Hanwoo
Integrated Measures Program.. These programs, designed
to improve the quality of Hanwoo cattle, include a project
for stabilization of calf production, a subsidy for
production of Hanwoo beef cattle, and other programs.
Thus far, these measures have been successful in reducing
the slaughter rate and increasing the cow-calf ratio.
Breeding programs emphasize maintaining high-quality
breeding stock, and Hanwoo beef is typically marketed
as a high-quality, high-price product. Liberalized beef
trade has not undermined the high prices for Hanwoo
beef, and Korean farmers are showing greater confidence
in the market (USDA/FAS 2002e:2).
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