Spanish Eggs Arrive in Korea... Supply Expected to Start as Early as the 15th

Trial Import of 1.21 Million Spanish Fresh Eggs
Supply to Homeplus and Others from the 15th at the Earliest
15 Million Stockpiled Eggs Released for Lunar New Year

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Fresh eggs imported from Spain to stabilize egg supply are expected to be supplied to the market as early as the 15th. The government is also considering importing fresh eggs from the United States depending on the egg supply situation.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that 1.21 million fresh eggs from Spain, imported on a trial basis through state trading, will sequentially arrive in Korea starting from the 10th. Earlier, the ministry decided to import fresh eggs from Spain on a trial basis in preparation for a potential deterioration in the domestic egg supply situation due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at the end of last year. A ministry official explained, "The current egg supply is stable. However, since migratory birds continue to arrive until this month, there is a considerable possibility of highly pathogenic AI spreading in laying hen farms, so it is necessary to prepare for supply instability."

The trial-imported Spanish eggs will be supplied to the market as early as the 15th. The ministry plans to supply the Spanish eggs to Homeplus and some food material companies. The imported eggs will only be cleared through customs after passing quarantine, physical and detailed inspections, and hygiene tests in Korea to ensure safety. Afterwards, they will be distributed to the market after undergoing water washing, disinfection, and eggshell marking through egg sorting and packaging companies.

The Spanish eggs imported this time are yellow eggs, the same as the domestically distributed eggs. However, while domestic eggs indicate the laying date and breeding environment on the eggshell with a 10-digit code, Spanish eggs are marked with a 5-digit code without a unique farm number. The packaging also indicates the country of origin, allowing consumers to easily identify whether the eggs are imported, according to the ministry.

The ministry stated that if the egg supply situation becomes unstable, fresh eggs may be additionally imported from countries other than Spain. The ministry plans to first consider importing fresh eggs from U.S. states where AI has not occurred. In addition, to stabilize egg prices, 15 million eggs in stock will be released intensively during this year's Lunar New Year holiday.

Kim Jung-wook, Director of Livestock Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "This egg import is a trial introduction of some quantities in preparation for a significant increase in laying hen culling, which would make domestic egg supply difficult," and added, "We ask farms to thoroughly implement quarantine rules to prevent supply instability caused by AI outbreaks."

A store selling eggs in a traditional market in downtown Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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