SUPER HANWOO CATTLE

[Anchor Lead]

A super hanwoo cattle weighing 1400 kg has been produced in Korea. It usually takes 40 months for the cattle to win the title of "super hanwoo". But this bull pulled it through in just 35 months.

[Pkg]

The size of this cow is quite astonishing. Weighing 1400 kg, it's the largest and heaviest cow in Korea. The animal is just 35 months-old. It is 80 kg heavier than a super hanwoo cow from Yeongju, which weighed 1316 kg in June last year. It's the largest hanwoo in Korea to date. So, what's the secret? The super hanwoo breed has been developed over the past decade by the National Livestock Cooperative Federation and Gyeongsang National University by selecting superior genes.

[Soundbite] Kim Yong-wook(Hapcheon Livestock Cooperative Federation) : "We found superior genes and developed the best cattle food to produce this hanwoo cow."

The animal's younger sibling, which is just 18 months old, currently weighs 800 kg, about 300 kg more than the breed's average weight at this age. It's 50 kg heavier than a fully grown 31-month-old regular hanwoo cattle that would weigh around 750 kg. Super hanwoo cattle grow faster than the average livestock and the breed is expected to help boost these farms' competitiveness.

[Soundbite] Kong Il-keun(Gyeongsang National Univ.) : "I believe genetic selection and breeding will ultimately help us produce large cattle."

It takes about 20 years to develop hanwoo breeds. Breeding hanwoo cattle with superior genes by transplanting fertilized eggs is a relatively easy and convenient method. The Hapcheon Livestock Cooperative Federation plans to supply superior hanwoo genes from Hapcheon en masse.