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| Pictured (l to r): Max Waldo, Christina Kim of Dongatech Co., Ltd., Dr. Justin Fix, Ross Wollenberg and Dr. Chad Stahl at the KISTOCK tradeshow booth. |
The National Swine Registry participated in a trade mission to South Korea from September 18-25, where they hosted a booth at the Korea International Livestock Expo trade show in Daegu, as well as conducted a joint seminar with the Korea Animal Improvement Association (KAIA). Dr. Justin Fix, NSR genetic programs specialist, along with Dr. Chad Stahl of Food Animal Consultation and Testing Services in Sheldon, Iowa, and Max Waldo and Ross Wollenburg of Waldo Farms in DeWitt, Neb., attended.
More than 100 South Korean swine industry members attended the joint KAIA seminar, held in conjunction with the trade show. NSR hosted several educational presentations, including a talk on improving meat quality, presented by Stahl, and an overview of the economic effects of not implementing a complete genetic program, given by Fix. Additionally, Fix and the swine general manager of the KAIA discussed the desire for research on a joint-genetic evaluation program.
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Pictured (l to r): Mr. Baik of the Korea Animal Improvement
Association, Mr. Lee (KAPE), Dr. Chad Stahl and Dr. Justin Fix
discuss the Korean pork and beef grading system.
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Fix and Stahl visited a commercial swine harvest facility to learn more about how carcasses are priced and what traits are desirable and rewarded. They had the opportunity to visit with South Korean swine professionals about the purchasing, harvest, and sales process of pork carcasses as well as the country’s meat inspection and grading service processes. The trade team also visited a Korean farm that has plans to construct a GGP/GP facility stocked with American genetics, hopefully in early 2012, and is interested in a long-term service agreement with NSR.
NSR will continue communications with Korean breeders who are working to restock after the country’s devastating loss of swine populations due to foot and mouth disease, and will continue to build market share of American purebred swine genetics in this country through America’s Best Genetics.