South Korea Dairy insights

Milk Consumption Slowdown First Time Over 10,000 Tons Since August 2021 Urgent Need for Dairy Product Production Measures The milk consumption slowdown that began late last year has led to an increase in powdered milk inventory, raising urgent calls for countermeasures. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute's (KREI) livestock outlook, powdered milk inventory converted to raw milk was 132,000 tons in March, a 71.5% increase compared to the same month last year. Since milk is a fresh product that cannot be stored long-term, it must be converted to whole or skim milk powder for storage, and the inventory is growing as milk consumption declines. According to the Dairy Promotion Association's powdered milk inventory status, the powdered milk inventory was 6,148 tons in March last year but began increasing from November, exceeding 10,000 tons for the first time since August 2021. Additionally, domestic per capita milk consumption last year dropped 9.4% year-on-year to 76 kg. ...

(Hoengseong=Yonhap News) Reporter Im Bo-yeon = Hoengseong County held a business agreement ceremony on the 29th with Hoengseong Livestock Cooperative, Hoengseong Hanwoo Cooperative, and Hoengseong KC to activate Hoengseong Hanwoo exports to the Middle East region. The agreement ceremony was planned to enhance the competitiveness of Hoengseong Hanwoo through expanded exports to the Middle East region and establish a public-private cooperation foundation to increase local Hanwoo farmers' income. According to the agreement, Hoengseong County will be responsible for export cooperation system establishment and administrative support, Hoengseong Livestock Cooperative and Hoengseong Hanwoo Cooperative will stably supply export volumes through high-quality Hoengseong Hanwoo breeding, and Hoengseong KC will handle slaughtering to increase export competitiveness. Hoengseong KC, in charge of slaughtering, is a local slaughterhouse that was the first in Korea to receive international Halal slaughterhouse certification from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), establishing the foundation for Hanwoo exports to the Middle East region. Through this agreement, the company is expected to contribute to expanding Hoengseong Hanwoo exports and establishing a premium Hanwoo brand image through high-quality slaughtering and processing. The agreement institutions plan to host a Hoengseong Hanwoo promotional event in Dubai on June 30th, inviting local distribution chains and food service businesses to explore the Middle East export market. Through this, they aim to accelerate their Middle East market strategy and raise Hoengseong Hanwoo's status in the global market. Hoengseong County Mayor Kim Myung-gi stated, "This agreement represents a joint effort to discover and expand new consumer markets for Hoengseong Hanwoo" and "will be an important starting point in improving Hoengseong Hanwoo's competitiveness and increasing farm income." limbo@yna.co.kr

[By Lee Jang-hee, Korea Farmers and Fishermen's Newspaper] Gyeonggi Province is conducting the 'Gyeonggi Livestock Management Academy' as part of its 'Successor Livestock Farmer Support Project' to ensure the sustainability and generational transition of the livestock industry, which is experiencing deepening aging. The 'Gyeonggi Livestock Management Academy' education will be promoted by receiving recommendations of 10 individuals each from producer groups of four livestock types: Korean beef cattle, dairy cows, pigs, and chickens. The education is planned to be held in the conference room of the Gyeonggi Agricultural and Fisheries Promotion Institute (located in Gwangju City) on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from June 25 to December. The Gyeonggi Livestock Management Academy will begin on June 25 with the theme 'Breathing Innovation into Livestock Industry' and explore the future of livestock industry transformed by artificial intelligence (AI)