Other producers are looking west at the export market as well. In the Eugene area, an existing plant that has reopened after major renovation is also in line to provide the Koreans. The former Bartels' meat packing plant has reopened as S-Bar Packing, is now processing pork, and soon will be processing beef, largely because of Korean contracts. Although the focus will be on the traditional cuts of meat, the more markets available, the better for everyone. It's possible that some of the beef products could make their way to Korea as well.
Japan continues to be a major target for Oregon agricultural exports, beef is no exception.
But the Japanese market is a mature one. It is difficult for new companies to displace those who have done business in Japan for a number of years. In Korea, it's a whole new pie and we can help slice it the way we want. The opportunities for Oregon beef to Korea coincide with a normalization of Korean beef import rules effective January 1, 2001. Presently and in the past, only a select number of buyers in Korea have been authorized to purchase beef imports.