South Korean Ag. Trade Mission 2012
Contact: Larry Lewis (801) 538-7104
Cell (801) 514-2152
Jed Christenson (801) 538-7108
Date: May 7, 2012
UDAF Markets Utah Agriculture in South Korea and Singapore
Salt Lake City – Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) Commissioner, Leonard Blackham and UDAF Marketing Director, Jed Christenson traveled to Singapore and South Korea to promote Utah-grown agricultural products during a 10-day trade mission April 15 to 25, 2012. The trip was hosted by WUSATA, the Western US Agricultural Trade Association and included state agriculture leaders from 13 Western states. This was the first Western trade mission to Korea since the United States signed the Korean Free Trade Agreement March 15, 2012.
The new agreement means many new opportunities for U.S. exporters to sell more made-in-America goods, services, and agricultural products to Korean customers – and to support more good jobs at home.
Commissioner Blackham and Christenson were introduced to 130 food buyers who are interested in American products such as fruits, vegetable, beef, poultry, hay and other crops. No Utah companies participated in the trade mission, but Christenson will meet with Utah producers who have an interest in expanding their markets. Buyers in South Korea and Singapore are interested in Utah products such as: beef, dairy, alfalfa hay, pork, and organic grains.
“South Korea has an expanding economy and their consumers are able to afford higher quality foods,” said Commissioner Blackham.” “Utah and the US are in a good position to supply the Korean market with our raw and processed food products,” he added.
South Korea’s agricultural production is not keeping up with their consumer demand for higher quality foods. As a result the country imported $7 Billion in US food products last year. Twenty-five percent of their food imports came from the United States.
“There is certainly an opportunity for Utah food producers to expand their markets into Singapore and South Korea,” said Christenson. “Our task now is to arrange an introduction or connection between our producers and the eager buyers from these Asian countries,” he added.
An example of a Utah product on grocery store shelves in South
Korea.
The WUSATA delegation at a Korean trade show working
to introduce Western state's agricultural products into the
Southeast Asian market.
Another Utah product in the Southeast Asian market.
posted May 7, 2012