Hanwoo Steer from Hallim-eup, Jeju Sets New Record
29-Month-Old Castrated Hanwoo Achieves Largest Ribeye Area in Jeju
A Hanwoo steer shipped from Jeju Livestock Cooperative's livestock product auction house has set a new record for the largest ribeye area ever recorded in Jeju Island.
According to the Jeju branch of the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Institute on December 30, a 29-month-old Hanwoo steer raised by farmer Byun Cheolhee in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, and shipped to the Jeju Livestock Cooperative auction house, recorded a ribeye area of 171㎠. This is 71㎠ larger than the national average of 100㎠, setting a new record for Jeju Island. The national record is 200㎠.
This animal showed excellent results after slaughter, with a carcass weight of 525kg, a marbling score of 9, a backfat thickness of 5mm, and a yield index of 66.91.
The marbling score is an indicator of how evenly fat is distributed within the muscle, with 9 being the highest grade. The yield index represents the proportion of lean meat obtainable from a slaughtered cow; the higher the value, the greater the economic value. A score of 67.2 or higher qualifies as grade A.
The cooperative explained that even when compared to the animal that won the grand prize at this year's Hanwoo Performance Evaluation Contest, this animal is not inferior. The grand prize-winning animal had a carcass weight of 553kg, a marbling score of 9, a backfat thickness of 10mm, and a ribeye area of 154㎠.
The post-slaughter appearance of a 29-month-old castrated Hanwoo bull shipped from a farm in Hallim-eup, Jeju City on the 24th. Provided by Jeju Livestock Cooperative
The cooperative evaluated that the farmer was able to achieve these outstanding results thanks to thorough feeding management based on a systematic feed supply from the cooperative. According to the cooperative, Byun Cheolhee is a participating farmer in the Jeju Hanwoo brand "Bodeulgyeol" and also takes part in the Hanwoo cow testing pilot project run by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation. The farm is known to make full use of Jeju Livestock Cooperative's economic services and has maintained thorough feeding management based on a systematic feed supply system, including TMRR (self-formulated fiber-mixed feed for Hanwoo).
This year, Byun Cheolhee shipped 42 castrated Hanwoo steers, with an average slaughter age of 29.5 months, about two months earlier than the national average of 31.6 months.
Chun Changsoo, president of Jeju Livestock Cooperative, congratulated Byun Cheolhee, saying, "This is the result of more than 20 years of dedication to Hanwoo breeding."
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