(Jeju=Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Ji-hye = Jeju Island, the first and only region in the country that can export livestock products to Singapore, has received approval from Singapore authorities for all six livestock processing facilities preparing for export.
Jeju Island announced on the 27th that the certification process for six Jeju Hanwoo and pork export facilities was finally completed after the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved two Jeju pork processing plants on the 26th.
Earlier, on the 2nd, the SFA had initially approved four Jeju export facilities. This time, it approved the Jeju Yangdon Agricultural Cooperative Export Meat Processing Plant (in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo City) and the agricultural corporation Mont Rack (in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City), both of which specialize in processing pork.
Regarding the two processing plants that the SFA's on-site inspection team could not visit due to schedule constraints, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requested the SFA to register the plants after export approval. The SFA swiftly completed the registration after confirming that the plants were managed at the same hygiene level as the already approved facilities, according to the Jeju government.
The certified facilities participated in the 'Jeju Day' event held in Singapore on the 5th, signing memoranda of understanding (MOU) with local distributors to complete their export preparations. They also actively engaged in consultations with local buyers, establishing a foundation for immediate export after approval, according to the Jeju government.
Governor Oh Yeong-hoon said, "With all six prepared facilities receiving approval, the export of Jeju livestock products to Singapore has become fully operational. We will use Singapore as a foothold to expand into the Southeast Asian premium market, creating a new growth engine for Jeju's livestock industry."
Singapore is one of the countries with strict hygiene and quarantine standards in the world, requiring certification as a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) clean zone by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) as a prerequisite for importing livestock products.
Jeju Island obtained this certification, the only one in the country, on May 29th.