A Carton of Eggs Back to the 7,000 Won Range... Over 10% Increase Compared to a Month Ago

Eggs are being sold at a large supermarket in Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

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[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] The price of a carton of eggs, considered a representative consumer good reflecting 'price perception,' has risen back to the 7,000 won range after about eight months.

According to the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Service today, the average consumer selling price of a carton of special eggs (30 eggs) on the 22nd was 7,010 won, a 10.3% increase from 6,358 won one month earlier.

The main cause is attributed to the rise in feed prices following the surge in international grain prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The price of a carton of eggs exceeding 7,000 won is the first time in about eight months since August 4 last year (7,038 won), according to statistics from the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Service.

Last year, the reason was the culling of more than 16 million laying hens due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) that began at the end of 2020. At that time, egg prices rose so sharply that the term "golden egg" was coined.

In response, the government implemented measures such as large-scale egg imports and emergency tariff allocations, and as laying hens in restocked farms began producing eggs, egg prices gradually stabilized from August last year.

Since then, egg prices generally remained in the high 5,000 won to mid-6,000 won range, but a recent upward trend has been observed.

By region, Busan, Gwangju, Sejong, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam recorded the highest price at 7,295 won, while Chungnam had the lowest at 6,732 won.

There are concerns that rising egg prices, a staple food for ordinary people, could lead to consecutive increases in meal and dining-out costs.

Meanwhile, prices of imported agricultural, livestock, and marine products have also risen.

According to the Korea Trade Statistics Promotion Institute, the import price index for agricultural, livestock, and marine products in March was 119.2 (base year 2015), up 32.4% from a year earlier and 5.9% from the previous month.

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