GS Retail – a supermarket heavyweight in Korea boasting revenue of $3.1 billion USD – sent a delegation of 10 people to the Riverina last week to investigate the beef industry.

The trip was organised by GS Retail officials and Cargill Australia to further enhance the business ventures between the two companies.

As it stands GS Retail, which employs over 10,000 people and runs 3600 convenience stores and 117 supermarkets, is the largest importer of chilled Australian beef and the company’s management indicated during the visit that they planned to buy more.

The trip enabled members of the GS Retail team including senior livestock team manager, Nam-Wook Cho to visit a beef cattle producer, the Cargill-owned Jindalee Feedlot and an abattoir in Wagga Wagga.

Speaking to The Land through an interpreter Mr Cho said he was impressed with what he had seen and would now be able to provide further feedback to Korean customers.

Mr Cho, Seoul said the Korean consumers wanted to purchase a clean product backed up by exceptional eating quality.

Full story in The Land on Thursday.