"Even After Seol ... Egg Prices Soar Until Next Chuseok"

Import Restrictions Lifted but Price Increase Continues
20% of Laying Hens Culled... At Least 6 Months Needed for Supply Normalization

American eggs imported to stabilize the soaring egg prices caused by the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) are being sold on the 8th at a warehouse discount store in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Although the peak season for eggs during the Seollal holiday has passed, egg prices are expected to remain high for the time being. Due to the continued culling of laying hens caused by the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), it is anticipated that egg prices will not stabilize for more than six months.

According to the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Institute's Livestock Distribution Information on the 14th, the consumer price of eggs on the day before the Seollal holiday, the 10th, reached 7,481 KRW per carton (special grade, 30 eggs), marking the highest level since the highly pathogenic AI virus was detected last fall.

Until last summer, egg prices were around 5,200 KRW per carton, but after highly pathogenic AI was confirmed in wild birds in late October, prices surged to the 5,700 KRW range. Entering the new year, prices rose to the 6,000 KRW range and surpassed 7,000 KRW by the end of January. This represents an increase of about 30% in just over 100 days.

Although the government distributed approximately 20 million imported eggs from the United States to large supermarkets, retailers, restaurants, and egg processing companies from the 26th of last month until just before the Seollal holiday, it was insufficient to curb the price increase. Even after the imported eggs entered the market, the price per carton rose by more than 700 KRW.

Typically, egg demand and prices stabilize after the holiday, but this year, such expectations are difficult. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as of the 12th, a total of 27.58 million poultry have been culled at domestic farms, of which more than half, 14.629 million, are laying hens. This represents a reduction of over 20% in laying hens compared to before the highly pathogenic AI outbreak.

The government plans to import an additional 24 million eggs by the end of February to stabilize egg prices after the holiday.

The poultry industry expects that even if the highly pathogenic AI ends immediately, egg production and prices will only return to normal levels after the Chuseok holiday in September. This is because it takes at least 6 to 8 months to raise chicks to laying hens after culling at affected farms.

A representative from the Korea Poultry Association stated, "The government is conducting preventive culling within a 3 km radius of farms where highly pathogenic AI has occurred, resulting in many more laying hens being culled than the number of AI cases. Since farmers are trying to suppress egg price increases as much as possible, we urge distributors and retailers to also refrain from raising prices."

A distribution industry official said, "We are somewhat hopeful because the number of new AI cases is lower than during the severe outbreak in 2016-2017," adding, "It will likely take until around October to raise laying hens again and normalize supply."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.