Damyang-gun Supplies 'Forage Cooked Steamers' to Improve Hanwoo Quality

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Choi Hyung-sik) announced on the 13th that it supplied forage steamers to livestock farms to improve the quality and productivity of Korean native cattle (Hanwoo).

The county has created a breeding manual covering all aspects of growth to enhance the brand value of Daesup Malgeun Hanwoo, systematically managing animal welfare-level breeding environments, feeding management, and feed supply.

In addition, the project was carried out with a budget of 165 million KRW to promote clean livestock farming.

Currently, most livestock farms nationwide feed only concentrated feed and forage, resulting in low digestibility, and especially calves frequently suffer from diarrhea, making urgent countermeasures necessary.

The county, together with the Livestock Cooperative, supplied 30 forage steamers to priority-selected breeding cow farms among about 630 Hanwoo farms and approximately 27,000 heads in the area to establish a foundation for producing high-quality calves.

The machine, costing 5.5 million KRW each, requires farmers to bear only 30%, or 1.65 million KRW, reducing the financial burden on farms.

The forage steamer uses a method similar to the traditional way of boiling cattle porridge, steaming forage at high temperatures for more than four hours to eliminate harmful bacteria and reduce odors in the forage. It also softens the forage and improves feed efficiency, which is excellent for preventing calf diarrhea and enhancing Hanwoo productivity.

A county official said, “This support project is expected to improve the environment of livestock farms and increase the competitiveness of Damyang Hanwoo,” adding, “We will gradually expand the project with the Livestock Cooperative so that more farms can benefit in the future.”