Oregon Public Broadcasting

It’s been nearly five years since exports were halted after a case of mad cow disease was discovered in Mabton, Washington.

Northwest meat packers are anxious to start shipping again, as correspondent Anna King reports.

Northwest cattle producers and processors were elated when they heard that their beef’s exile from South Korea was over. But now they’re wondering if they got excited too soon.

No U.S. beef has reached South Korea yet. And if the protests don’t let up, some doubt the trade deal will last.

The U.S. shipped about 250,000 metric tons of beef to South Korea each year before mad cow disease was discovered here. Now there’s none.

That’s frustrating people like Rick Stott. He’s vice president for the meat packer Agri Beef, in Boise, Idaho.

Rick Stott: "We wish we could just move on and allow the Korean consumer to make that decision when it’s on the shelf. If the Korean consumer doesn’t like it, then don’t buy it."

Next week a delegation of American cattle producers goes to Taiwan. They plan to serve up Tyson brand beef at the International Food Show there to bolster U.S. beef’s image.