The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on the 1st that premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, and pork from Jeju will be exported to Singapore. It is a follow-up measure taken one month after exports were formally agreed at the Korea-Singapore summit last month.
The ministry, together with the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, held the first shipment ceremony at Jeju Port on the afternoon of the same day. About 150 officials from export-related agencies and producer groups attended the event, including Park Jeong-hoon, director general for food policy at the ministry, Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun, and Gwangju Ministery of Food and Drug Safety head Song Seong-ok.
The initial volume totals 4.5 tons (t) of premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, and pork. The export value is about 2.8 billion won, and six plants, including Jeju Livestock Cooperative, Seogwipo Livestock Cooperative, Jeju Pig Farmers' Agricultural Cooperative, Daehan FNB, and Montrac, will take part.
The export reflects Singapore's official recognition of the quarantine and hygiene standards of Korea's livestock products. The ministry, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, and Jeju Province have been negotiating exports with the Singaporean government since 2016. In particular, at this year's World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) general session, the government secured foot-and-mouth disease-free status for the Jeju region, strengthening the foundation for exports.
Singapore is a high-income country and relies on overseas sources for most of its meat consumption. The market grew from $3.1 billion in 2019 to $3.9 billion in 2023, expanding at an average annual rate of 5.5%.
Park Jeong-hoon, director general for food policy at the ministry, said, "Along with K-food, we will work with relevant agencies to carry out promotional and marketing events so that many citizens in Singapore can become familiar with and comfortably consume our livestock products."