VALUE OF ‘HANWOO’ SOAR

[Anchor Lead]

2021 is the year of the Ox. The Korean cattle breed Hanwoo has doubled in weight since it was first produced 50 years ago, while its quality has improved by eight-fold, bringing in solid profits to farmers.

[Pkg]

A farmer feeds his Hanwoo cattle. Hanwoo production began in Korea in 1969. Since then, the cows' weight has nearly doubled. Back in the 1970s, Hanwoo cows weighed around 350 kg. In 2019, at 690 kg, they're 1.9 times heavier. The percentage of Grade 1 cattle has also improved significantly. Back in 1993, when the Hanwoo grading system was first introduced, Grade 1 cows accounted for only 10 percent. But the number rose to 47 percent in 2005, and reached 90 percent in 2019. This means the quality of Hanwoo beef has improved by eight-fold in 28 years. This is largely attributed to the so-called "proven Hanwoo bulls." They refer to young bulls whose genetic superiority has been certified. The Rural Development Administration has selected around 30 proven bulls every six months. They were supplied to Hanwoo cattle farms. 

[Soundbite] LIM JONG-SEON(HANWOO FARMER) : "In the past cows were simply fed grass from the fields or boiled feed. But nowadays we have more ways to produce high-quality cows."

Another contributing factor: the feed formulation program for supplying nutritionally balanced cattle feed. The program helped raise the percentage of high-quality Hanwoo beef by 12 percentage points. 

[Soundbite] BAEK YEOL-CHANG(RURAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION) : "We plan to carry out deeper research into cattle feed that can be supplied in small amounts to reduce costs and protect the environment while helping to increase cattle weight."

Thanks to improving quality of Hanwoo beef, Hanwoo farmers generate economic benefits of over 200 billion won annually.