Irish company Dawn Meats today announced that it has secured a multimillion-euro contract for monthly shipments with a South Korean company, whose identity has yet to be disclosed.
The agreement comes shortly after an announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, that South Korea agreed to open its market to Irish beef for the first time.
The contract will see Dawn Meats supply beef each month to the South Korean firm’s foodservice, retail and manufacturing customers across the country.
Irish Beef
Dawn Meats subsequently secured South Korean approval for the supply, marketing and distribution of bone-in and boneless beef cuts therein.
The beef will come from sites in Grannagh, Co. Waterford, and Charleville, in Cork.
Commencing later this month, the contract follows a successful visit by representatives of the South Korean company to Ireland in January of this year.
The visit was a culmination of significant efforts by Dawn Meats to build relationships with South Korean political clients, beginning in 2018.
It also follows an audit of Irish beef plants by South Korean authorities last month.
Dawn Meats supplies beef to other markets in the region, for example, to the Philippines and Japan.
This new-market access will now facilitate the development of a broader customer base and builds on Dawn Meats’ growing reputation abroad.
‘A Significant Step’
Speaking about the contract, the chief executive of Dawn Meats, Niall Browne, said, “We welcome this new-market access to South Korea, and we are delighted that two of our sites have received South Korean approval.
“It is a testament to the high-quality beef supplied by our family farm suppliers, and it is a significant step in developing new market opportunities for our products.
“We must recognise the role played by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine over the years, to secure this positive development.
“We look forward to working with our customers in the South Korean market, who will be crucial to helping bring quality Irish beef to the plates of South Korean consumers.”
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