Wagga has this week played host to 15 Korean delegates from the supermarket chain GS Mart, showing them how beef is produced in the Riverina to celebrate the third anniversary of business with Cargills.

On Tuesday night the delegates, mainly supermarket butchers, were treated to a night at Cottontails on the Ridge to sample the Riverina beef they will be selling back home.

Andrew Negline, Cargills’ marketing and brand manager, said Korea was hugely important to Australian and especially Riverina exporters.

“GS Mart is Korea’s third biggest supermarket chain, the country is Australia’s third biggest export destination and the most important for Riverina beef producers,” he said.

“Many of the delegates are butchers in the supermarkets who can go back and tell the Korean housewives about

our quality beef.”

Yesterday, the delegates were taken out to Kyeamba Station where beef cattle are bred, to give them a better understanding of how the meat reaches them in Korea.

Mr Negline said it was the first time many of them had seen the beef cattle up close.

“For many of them it is the first time they’ve come to Australia and certainly the first time they’ve been able to walk among the cattle and see how they are bred,” he said.

“The Korean people grew up with beef in their diet and are used to Hanwoo beef, a high quality meat, but Riverina beef is becoming very popular as well thanks to its eating quality.”

The contract between Cargills and GS Mart has been strong for the past three years and Mr Negline said this week’s visit would strengthen that bond and the knowledge of Australian beef in Korea.