InterviewFarmer fears mad cow disease following possible broader US imports

Byun Jung-il, owner of Daemyung Livestock Farm in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, checks his farm's real-time status on a smartphone, Sept. 24. He can control the smart farm's temperature, humidity, air circulation and lights remotely using apps. Korea Times photo by Ko Dong-hwan

HAPCHEON, South Gyeongsang Province — The owner of a high-profile cow farm in South Gyeongsang Province is opposed to wider imports of U.S. beef.

Byun Jung-il believes that allowing the import of some kinds of American beef would increase the risk of Korean consumers being exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a zoonotic infection also known as mad cow disease. Korea has had a ban on the import of beef from U.S. cows aged 30 months or older in place since 2008, following widespread protests over the safety of such imports.

The Donald Trump administration, amid ongoing tariff negotiations with Korea, is seeking to turn the tables by demanding that Seoul lift the ban. Both countries reached an initial agreement in late July to leave the bilateral livestock trade conditions intact. However, subsequent ministerial meetings between Seoul and Washington suggest that the issue remains on the table.

Byun, looking after over 160 head of domestic cattle, known as hanwoo, at Daemyung Livestock Farm in Hapcheon, suggests that lifting the ban would result in a higher risk of BSE infection in Korea.

“Cows for beef are castrated and butchered when they reach 25 to 30 months because that is when they taste best. There are, however, cases when aged breeding cattle have outlived their purpose and get butchered for their meat. That group is highly exposed to BSE,” Byun said in an interview with The Korea Times at his farm.

Outside the smart farm’s central monitoring room are two plaques from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs issued last year and this, recognizing the farm’s management and eco-friendly practices. He is also the ministry's official mentor for aspiring cow farmers, sometimes inviting mentees to visit him at what the government calls a “model farm."

Byun Jung-il activates an automatic feeder for a cattle pen at his farm, Sept. 24. With the system, he can set the amount of feed and time to feed the cows. Korea Times photo by Ko Dong-hwan

Most BSE-infected cows in the U.S. and Canada were aged 10 years or older. The Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom and the World Organization for Animal Health have said “specified risk materials” containing infectious particles in cows increase sharply after 30 months in age.

Byun said Korea is, however, prepared for a BSE outbreak because of its cow identification system, implemented nationwide in 2008. With a unique number for every individual cow registered in the government's database, they are monitored for their entire lifespan, with details including birthdate, farm, distribution history, butchering date, beef grade and disease background.

"The old saying, 'After death, humans leave a legacy and animals leave leather," doesn't apply to cows anymore. They leave a history now," he said. "If a BSE-positive case is found, the system can backtrack to the infected cow's origin and help contain it."

Byun was not concerned about U.S. beef's price competitiveness compared to domestic hanwoo beef. He believes the premium quality of the local product will win out over cheaper imports, and said there is consistent demand for hanwoo.

"Hanwoo's popularity will never drop, regardless of cheaper imports. It's especially visible during traditional holidays like this month's Chuseok, and part of the country's deep-seated culture of hospitality," he said.

Smart-farming cows

Byun established Daemyung Livestock Farm in 2017, after working for the National Federation of Livestock Cooperatives’ regional branch in Gimhae for 11 years. Understanding how cattle rancher's lives could be improved through labor practices, he began implementing smart features at his own farm in 2022, starting with an automatic rice straw cutter.

A consumer checks imported beef from the United States and Australia at a retail store in Seoul, June 29. Newsis

Now, the farm’s 50 cameras can remotely maneuver winch curtains and ceiling doors of the farm’s two pens to control temperature and air circulation, automatically detect when cows are ready for breeding and feed an entire herd of cattle at once using the automatic feeder system. Lights inside the pens can also be controlled remotely to improve the chances of successful impregnation following artificial insemination.

These smart systems have reduced Byun’s daily labor from two hours to 1.5 hours and allowed him to operate the entire farm with a single assistant. They have increased the farm's efficiency in managing breeding cows, and reduced feed costs by 15 percent.

“We have inserted a capsule in each cow. The locator reads the animal’s temperature and notifies me which cow is ready for reproduction. That saves me from tiresome labor. Now, caring for these animals is easier than cultivating crops out in fields,” he said.

Efficiency is especially important now, as operation costs continue to rise. Byun said the cost of grain for feed jumped 30 percent after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the per head cost of cattle dropped from 10 million won ($7,100) in 2023 to 8.7 million won.

“My earning seem to have declined by 40 to 50 percent from three years ago due to rising costs and the declining value of cattle,” he said. "That’s a huge plunge."