12/04/06 President`s help wanted on Korea

American Rancher December 4, 2006 South Korea on Friday rejected a second shipment of U.S. beef after saying it found bone fragments in it. The Korean's actions have frustrated USDA officials and beef industry leaders. Despite an agreement to resume trade with the U.S., Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says that the U.S. is finding the South Korean market isn't even close to open. Jay Truitt, National Cattlemen's Beef Association Vice President of Governmental Affairs says his group believes it's all a political and protectionist process and NCBA is writing a letter to the White House to ask the President to intervene at the highest levels in South Korea. Truitt: "It is unfortunate it has become a political issue at this point But we know the negotiators have done frankly about everything they can. At some point somebody pretty high on the ladder is gonna have to start asking the kind of questions of frankly is it going to be possible for us to ever send beef into Korea." Truitt says it's horrible to say it but his industry probably shouldn't even look to Korea as a market right now. Truitt: "We will likely be asking the USDA to remove the protocol from FSIS export library just so those folks that haven't been aware of the dynamics of this don't get caught and have product shipped halfway around the world and have to pay for it to come back or have it destroyed without being paid for." Back in 2003 South Korea was the third largest export market for U.S. beef. I'm Bob Hoff.