HONG KONG: Korea is widely expected to export “hanwoo” beef to Hong Kong as early as December, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Tuesday. If this happens, it will be the first overseas shipment of beef from the country’s indigenous cattle.
The ministry said Hong Kong authorities are about to complete its 8-month-long quarantine procedure of hanwoo, adding that breeders will soon be able to ship local beef to the city.
Korea and Hong Kong began negotiations in March this year about the shipment of hanwoo. Hong Kong authorities completed a risk assessment in April and reached a consensus with their Korean counterparts on details of quarantine and sanitary rules in June.
In August, local farms seeking to export beef completed their registrations with the Hong Kong government.
Last month, Hong Kong quarantine officials came here to conduct field inspections on hanwoo farms, slaughter houses, feed plants and other related facilities.
“Hong Kong authorities are now evaluating the results of their field inspections. If they find no problems, the quarantine will come to an end,” a ministry official said. “Then, the registered farms here will begin processing hanwoo to ship to Hong Kong.”
The official said the government will take necessary steps to ensure that registered farms abide by quarantine and sanitary rules.
In early 2014, the Korean government first asked Hong Kong to buy hanwoo. But the talks came to a halt in July that year when foot-and-mouth disease occurred here.
