Strong Sales of Feed Ingredients Boost Insect Sales by 2% Last Year to 41.4 Billion Won

Brown mealworm. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Thanks to the strong sales of insects for feed last year, the total insect sales amount recorded 41.4 billion KRW, an increase of more than 2% compared to the previous year.

According to the "2020 Insect Industry Survey" announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 13th, insect sales last year amounted to 41.392 billion KRW, showing a 2.1% increase from the previous year.

Within the domestic insect industry, the proportions were 51.6% edible insects, 22.5% feed insects, 10.7% learning and pet insects, and 15.6% others. The feed insect industry is growing, having increased by about 22.5% compared to the previous year. Edible insects decreased by 12.5%.

By insect type, sales amounts were highest for Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (white-spotted flower chafer) at 14.7 billion KRW, black soldier fly at 9.3 billion KRW, Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) at 3.3 billion KRW, cricket at 3.2 billion KRW, rhinoceros beetle at 2.9 billion KRW, and stag beetle at 1.6 billion KRW. The feed insect black soldier fly industry saw a significant increase of 55.4%. Stag beetle (-24%) and cricket (-13.4%) sales decreased. Black soldier fly sales were 800 million KRW in 2017, 2.2 billion KRW in 2018, 6 billion KRW in 2019, and 9.3 billion KRW last year.

The number of registered insect businesses stood at 2,873 as of the end of last year, a 13.3% increase from 2,535 the previous year. By registration type, there were 1,416 production businesses, 8 processing businesses, and 165 distribution businesses. Businesses registered for two or more types accounted for 1,284, or 44.7% of total registrations. By region, Gyeonggi had 719 businesses, Gyeongbuk 501, and Gyeongnam 339.

By insect type, there were 1,242 Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis businesses, 407 rhinoceros beetle businesses, 279 cricket businesses, 274 Tenebrio molitor businesses, 166 black soldier fly businesses, 152 stag beetle businesses, and 25 butterfly businesses. By business entity, farm-type businesses numbered 1,727 (60.1%), individual business registrants 856 (29.8%), and corporate-type (agricultural companies and farming cooperative corporations) 290 (10.1%). By business form, side businesses (less than 50% of total income) were 1,316 (45.8%), main businesses (80% or more) 922 (32.1%), and mixed businesses (50-80%) 635 (22.1%).

Kim Jong-gu, Director of Agricultural Life Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "The survey results showed that feed insects are increasing," adding, "We plan to continue promoting the establishment of base complexes, integration, and support for distribution business groups to expand the insect industry scale."

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