I quickly changed the word ‘favor’ to ‘proposal.’
I wanted to convey the feeling that it wasn’t just me unilaterally asking for help, but a deal that would be mutually beneficial.
“Proposal? What is it?”
President Yu took a sip of his tea and leaned forward with an interested expression.
“We’re going to buy whole pigs from the farm and bring them here as half-carcasses after slaughter.”
“As half-carcasses?”
“Yes, but we don’t have deboning facilities. Of course, we don’t have the skill to debone them either…….”
This part is key.
While admitting that it was something I could never do alone, I had to appeal to the fact that it could be an opportunity for President Yu.
President Yu nodded slowly.
The tone of his voice became serious.
It seemed he had already grasped my intention to some extent.
“And?”
“How about you handle the deboning work for us, President?”
“Me? For your stuff?”
“Yes, we’ll take the pork belly, neck, tenderloin, loin, special cuts, and the front and hind legs.”
“Then, what about the rest?”
“You take all the remaining parts, President. In lieu of a processing fee.”
President Yu rubbed his chin.
“I take the rest of the parts……?”
“Yes.”
President Yu fell into thought for a moment.
It was now time to wait for his answer.
This type of transaction is common in the meat industry.
Meat companies in Majang-dong often exchange processing fees in kind rather than cash.
It’s a sort of barter system.
There are several reasons why this method is preferred.
First, it reduces the burden on cash flow.
It is much more efficient for small businesses to share the parts they need rather than preparing cash every time.
Also, it allows each party to utilize their expertise.
A win-win structure like this is necessary among small businesses that cannot handle everything with cash.
However, President Yu shook his head firmly.
“But you see, Junho.”
“Yes?”
“If you guys take all the good cuts, there’s nothing left for me.”
“Hmm…….”
“Now, let’s see what’s left for me……”
President Yu explained while pointing to a diagram hanging on the wall.
“First, the innards. Liver, heart, kidneys, stomach, large intestine, small intestine…… if you bundle those as a set, you can get 80,000 won.”
“Really?”
“Sundaeguk restaurants and visceral soup places buy them a lot. You can even get 100,000 won for high-quality ones.”
“What about the bones?”
“You get about 3kg of leg bones from one pig, which can fetch 20,000 won.”
“What about the spine?”
“The spine is taken by gamjatang restaurants.”
President Yu counted more on his fingers.
“Plus the trotters, tail, head……”
“There’s more than I thought.”
“There’s nothing to throw away on a pig. Even the blood is used to make sundae.”
“If I sell them at the best possible price, I might get up to 200,000 won…… but rather than stressing over selling all this, I’d rather just receive a processing fee.”
President Yu brushed his hands and shrugged his shoulders.
In fact, his words weren’t wrong.
Processing fees for deboning and trimming vary greatly depending on the situation.
If it were just a simple level of removing bones, 30,000 to 50,000 won per pig would be enough, but to properly trim the pork belly, neck, and special cuts for retail, the cost could range from 100,000 to 150,000 won.
In particular, special cuts like jowl meat and fan meat are high-difficulty tasks where a single wrong knife stroke can turn them into scrap meat, so the technical fee is expensive.
Ultimately, the 200,000 won worth of byproducts President Yu mentioned was an amount possible only when putting in the manual labor and legwork to deliver to restaurant clients.
Any butcher who had worked for a long time would agree that it was more comfortable to receive a stable processing fee immediately.
President Yu shook his head once more.
“And the deboning and trimming fees aren’t cheap. Besides, the cuts you’re taking are tricky to trim. Under these conditions, it’s practically at the level of me doing volunteer work for you.”
Being a 30-year veteran, his calculations were fast.
I had to reduce our margin further.
“Of course, I shouldn’t let you take a loss, President.”
“…….”
“Then, how about we split the sales from the front and hind legs fifty-fifty?”
“Fifty-fifty?”
“Yes, instead, please sell them through your connections. We don’t have those kinds of sales channels yet.”
President Yu’s expression brightened again.
“Hmm…… really?”
“Yes…… the front and hind legs come in large quantities, so there’s a limit to selling them to individual customers……”
“That’s true, it’s much better to pass those parts over to restaurants or companies.”
President Yu rubbed his chin.
It seemed to be a habit he showed whenever he was deep in thought.
“Then that changes the story. I’ll try talking to President Kim and President Lee. President Kim takes front legs well, and President Lee specializes in hind legs.”
“Then, what about the price?”
“You can get the market rate. Don’t worry. I’m not the kind of person so worn down that I’d backstab young folks.”
“Ayy, of course I trust you, President…… thank you!”
President Yu tapped on his calculator.
“Then let’s summarize. You guys take the pork belly, neck, tenderloin, loin, and special cuts……”
“Yes.”
“I take the innards, bones, trotters, tail, and head, and we split the profits fifty-fifty from the front and hind legs that I sell.”
“That is correct.”
Minjae cautiously cut in.
“Then, when can we start?”
“We can start as early as next week. But if the volume increases too much, we might have to hire additional workers later. You should think about that in advance.”
“When that time comes, we will cover those labor costs.”
President Yu reached out his hand.
“Good, let’s do it. Since it’s something that benefits both of us.”
Now, the route from the farm to the slaughterhouse, and from the slaughterhouse to President Yu, was complete.
“There’s no need to thank me. I’m doing it because there’s something in it for me too. It’s just that you young guys are so impressive that I’m paying a bit more attention. These days, it’s hard to see young folks like you in this industry. Anyway, let’s do well together. If it doesn’t cost me money, I’ll help you out a lot.”
“Yes! Thank you!!”
*****
A few days later, at Hyeongje Pure Farm.
In the parking lot at the farm entrance, an SUV that seemed to have come from out of town was already there.
“Huh? Someone else is already here.”
An agent who looked quite bulky was looking over the pigs one by one in front of the pen.
“Ah, President Jeong! You’re here?”
Sim Young-soo walked out with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry. President Yoon, who distributes in Gyeonggi-do, suddenly said he had to come today…… since you both said it was urgent, the times ended up overlapping.”
“Ah, it’s okay.”
“I’m sorry. Still, there are plenty of pigs, so please take your time looking. Don’t feel uncomfortable with each other.”
Sim Young-soo asked for our understanding, but I sensed that an inevitable power struggle had begun.
“Hello?”
At my greeting, the man called President Yoon just chuckled and turned around.
In the gaze with which he scanned me from head to toe, a strange sense of wariness and superiority could be glimpsed.
It seemed I looked too young to be seen as an experienced agent.
“Must be a new client? You’re young.”
“Yes, I started trading not too long ago.”
President Yoon grinned.
“Well, since this is also a fated meeting, let’s look around together. This field is narrower than you’d think. You never know when we might see each other again.”
Sim Young-soo guided us inside the pen.
“Now, these are the pigs scheduled for shipment.”
Like a veteran, President Yoon began to slowly look over the pigs.
He was meticulously checking their body types, fur condition, and even their movements.
I also immediately put my hand on the first pig.
[Living Pig – 111kg Finisher Pig]
Breed: Three-way crossbreed (LYD)
Current Weight: 108.3kg
Estimated Carcass Weight: 81.2kg
Optimal Shipping Date: D-DAY (Ready for shipment)
Estimated Yield by Cut
Pork Belly: 15.8kg (Estimated Grade: Grade 1)
Neck: 5.5kg
Front Leg: 11.2kg
Hind Leg: 18.9kg
Meat Quality Prediction
Marbling Score: ★★★☆☆
Meat Color: Normal (Vivid red expected)
Water-holding Capacity: ★★★☆☆
Probability of PSE: 15% (Somewhat high)
Stress Level: Normal
Exercise Amount: Insufficient
Feed Quality: Excellent
Antibiotic Use: None (Recent 60 days)
Special Note: Probability of Grade 1 or higher upon slaughter: 65%
A finisher pig is, literally, a pig raised to be fattened up.
They are pigs meant solely for meat production, completely different from breeding pigs used for producing piglets.
A pig’s life flows quite a bit faster than we think.
Three weeks after birth, they are weaned from their mother’s milk and called ‘piglets.’
From then until 10 weeks, they go through the basic rearing process.
From 10 to 16 weeks is the ‘growing pig’ period.
This is an important time when the skeleton and muscles develop in earnest.
The frame becomes sturdy and the basic body shape is established.
And from 16 to 24 weeks is the ‘finisher pig’ stage.
Just as the name suggests, it’s the period for fattening them up.
They are intensively fed to increase weight for shipment.
Usually, around 6 months of age, which is about 24 weeks, they reach a weight of around 110-115kg.
This is the optimal time to send them to the slaughterhouse.
The pig I am looking at now has also come this far through that process.
‘Hmm…… pass on this one.’
I decided in 5 seconds and moved on to the second one.
Seeing that, President Yoon immediately shook his head.
“Oops, young President. You shouldn’t be so hasty.”
He pointed to the first pig I had passed on.
“Look at this fellow. The weight is appropriate, the fur has a good sheen, and the legs look sturdy. What part didn’t you like?”
“Ah, just a feeling……”
“Feeling? In this field, you’re in big trouble if you work by feeling. You do it with experience and a keen eye.”
The lecturing tone was annoying, but I took it as good intentions.
Since advising a total beginner wouldn’t be out of malice.
However, the problem is that it gets a bit tiring when that advice is wrong.
“Especially a body type like this has a high possibility of a high pork belly ratio. You probably don’t know things like that yet, right?”
His words weren’t completely wrong.
This pig definitely had a high ratio of pork belly relative to its weight.
But the problem was that wasn’t everything.
Just because there’s a lot of pork belly doesn’t mean it’s all good.
The probability of PSE was as high as 15%, and the marbling score was only 3.
A typical case where the quantity is high but the quality is low.
“Yes, I think you’re right.”
I just nodded for now and moved on to the second pig.
[Living Pig – 112kg Finisher Pig]
Breed: Three-way crossbreed (LYD)
Current Weight: 112.7kg
Estimated Carcass Weight: 86.3kg
Optimal Shipping Date: D-1 (Ready for shipment)
Estimated Yield by Cut
Pork Belly: 15.1kg (Estimated Grade: Grade 1+)
Neck: 6.2kg
Front Leg: 12.1kg
Hind Leg: 20.5kg
Meat Quality Prediction
Marbling Score: ★★★★★
Meat Color: Normal (Vivid red expected)
Water-holding Capacity: ★★★★★
Probability of PSE: 2% (Extremely low)
Stress Level: Low
Exercise Amount: Optimal
Feed Quality: Excellent
Antibiotic Use: None (Recent 60 days)
Special Note:
Probability of Grade 1+ upon slaughter: 95%
“This fellow is good. President Sim, I’ll take this one.”
I decided again in just 5 seconds.
President Yoon wore an incredulous expression.
“You’re deciding after looking for only a few seconds again? Young President, is it really okay to do that?”
“Yes, I think it’ll be fine. Isn’t it fifty-fifty anyway?”
I replied calmly and moved on to the third pig.
President Yoon shook his head and muttered.
“People in the industry these days are really…… even if they’re hasty, they’re too hasty.”
In fact, it is nearly impossible to judge meat quality just by looking at the outward appearance of a living pig.
No matter how experienced a veteran is, they can only make basic guesses based on body type or fur condition.
Things like the thickness of the pork belly, fat distribution, and marbling are parts that can only be known after slaughter.
Furthermore, meat quality abnormalities such as the PSE phenomenon or DFD (Dark, Firm, Dry) phenomenon are determined by the stress the pig received or genetic factors, which can never be known just by looking at the outside.
That’s why most agents play a game of probability based on experience, thinking ‘if it has this kind of body type, it’s usually okay.’
If only about 7-8 out of 10 pigs are decent, they think it’s profitable.
Even when looking meticulously, choosing a living pig is a difficult task.
Despite that, there is a separate reason for coming to the farm.
First is the price.
If you buy after receiving a grade at the slaughterhouse, the price is already fixed.
Pork grades are classified into four stages: 1+, 1, 2, and Off-grade, by comprehensively evaluating meat quality and quantity.
You have to pay the price of a 1+ grade for a 1+ grade, and the price of a 2nd grade for a 2nd grade.
But it’s different if you buy them in a living state at the farm.
It’s a gamble, but if you’re lucky, you can buy 1+ grade meat at a 2nd grade price.
Conversely, you might pick a dud, but intermediate distributors like President Yoon don’t mind much anyway because they just need to leave a certain margin per kg.
Also, maintaining a relationship with a good farm is important.
To secure volume during peak seasons or holidays, you have to maintain steady transactions normally.
Farm owners like Sim Young-soo also contact regular companies first when good pigs come out.
Even just to maintain these personal connections and relationships of trust, they put in the legwork themselves.
Above all, there is confidence that comes from long experience.
Although it’s not 100% accurate, they come to the farm with the belief that ‘with this much, I roughly get a feel for it.’
But all that experience and know-how is ultimately just a game of probability.
Because the truly important things are what can only be known after slaughtering.
However, the story is different for someone who has watched the pig grow every single day.
Sim Young-soo, who had been watching quietly, sidled up and whispered.
“President Jeong, you’re really amazing. How do you know? This one is the one that grew the healthiest and best.”
“Just…… looking at it, the body looks well-balanced.”
It was embarrassing to give a vague excuse, so I just stared at the pig.
I put my hand on them one by one and quickly checked the information.
At this rate, I was practically a human scanner.
[Living Pig – 110kg Finisher Pig]
Breed: Three-way crossbreed (LYD)
Current Weight: 110.1kg
Estimated Carcass Weight: 84.8kg
Optimal Shipping Date: D+1 (Ready for shipment)
Estimated Yield by Cut
Pork Belly: 14.6kg (Estimated Grade: Grade 1+)
Neck: 5.9kg
Front Leg: 11.8kg
Hind Leg: 19.9kg
Meat Quality Prediction
Marbling Score: ★★★★☆
Meat Color: Normal (Vivid red expected)
Water-holding Capacity: ★★★★☆
Probability of PSE: 5% (Low)
Stress Level: Low
Exercise Amount: Optimal
Feed Quality: Excellent (NON-GMO)
Antibiotic Use: None (Recent 60 days)
Special Note: Probability of Grade 1+ upon slaughter: 88%
“This one is also good……”
[Living Pig – 115kg Finisher Pig]
Breed: Three-way crossbreed (LYD)
Current Weight: 119.8kg
Estimated Carcass Weight: 87.1kg
Optimal Shipping Date: D+6 (Optimal shipping date passed)
Estimated Yield by Cut:
Pork Belly: 16.2kg (Estimated Grade: Grade 2)
Neck: 6.5kg
Front Leg: 12.8kg
Hind Leg: 21.3kg
Meat Quality Prediction:
Marbling Score: ★★☆☆☆
Meat Color: Somewhat dull
Water-holding Capacity: ★★☆☆☆
Probability of PSE: 25% (High)
Stress Level: Normal
Exercise Amount: Insufficient
Feed Quality: Excellent
Special Note:
Overweight, excessive fat accumulation
Probability of Grade 2 upon slaughter: 78%
“This one seems to have put on too much weight.”
President Yoon, who was watching from the side, shook his head.
“No, President. A big fellow like that is what’s good. Lots of meat comes out too. Well, anyway, it’s a relief you’re not taking it. President Sim! I’ll take this fellow.”