South Korean diners have been without U.S. beef since December 2003 when the first case of mad cow disease was verified in a Washington state cow. South Korea has rejected previous shipments of U.S. beef after it resumed trade of boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age from the United States in September 2006. But more than six tons of beef shipped last week by Creekstone Farms Premium Beef of Arkansas City, Kan., passed inspection.

That could lead to more beef imported from the U.S., including that from Swift & Co. of Greeley, which operates four beef packing plants including the one in north Greeley, said Sean McHugh, company spokesman.

"We are getting product ready in the pipeline, and it's likely that we will be shipping that product in the next few weeks," McHugh said Monday.

And the Japanese market for more U.S. beef also may be improving.

Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said the U.S. and Japan have agreed on two key steps toward expanding beef trade with Japan.

The first would be additional audits of U.S. beef processing plants, but McHugh said he doesn't think Swift will be subject to any further inspections as Japanese audit teams inspected their beef plants in December last year.

Source: Greeley Tribune