May 15, 2007

South Korea posts increase in beef consumption in 2006

Per capita beef consumption in South Korea last year showed growth for the first time in four years at 6.8 kilograms, inching up from 0.2 kilograms from 2005, according to the Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Overall per capita meat consumption (including beef, pork and chicken) reached 33.3 kg per capita, almost matching the high of 33.4kg in 2003. Fifty two percent of beef consumed was imported.

Beef intake in South Korea was low from 2002 to 2005 due to lack of imported beef over mad cow disease outbreak in the US and other exporting countries. Consumption stood at 8.5kg in 2002 following the liberalisation of the imported beef market but fell to 6.8kg in 2004 and 6.6kg in 2005 due to lack of supply, high prices and food safety concerns.

The increase in consumption last year was due mainly to the growth in imported beef supply from Australia and New Zealand, and still increased despite the high prices for domestic beef. The volume of imported beef increased from 160,145 tonnes in 2004 to 212,699 tonnes last year. Before the ban on US beef, Korea's total beef imports reached 325,890 tonnes in 2003.