April 3, 2026

 

South Korea to control chicken prices by importing 15 million broiler hatching eggs

 

 

South Korea's agriculture ministry said on March 30 it will urgently import 15 million broiler hatching eggs in an effort to curb rising chicken prices.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said retail prices for broiler chicken have climbed sharply in recent days, increasing by about ₩300 (US$0.22) per kilogramme over the past 10 days.

 

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation's price system, the average price rose from ₩6,252 (US$4.60) per kilogramme on March 19 to ₩6,534 (US$4.80) on March 28. Peak prices rose from ₩7,182 (US$5.30) to ₩7,980 (US$5.90) over the same period.

 

Officials warned that rising chicken costs could lead to higher prices for fried chicken, a widely consumed food in South Korea, potentially pushing up overall dining-out inflation.

 

The ministry said it is in talks with the Netherlands over quarantine procedures for importing the eggs and is also considering Belgium as an alternative supplier if negotiations stall.

 

If talks are successful, imports could begin as early as early April. Combined with 778,000 eggs already imported from Spain in March, total imports would reach about 23 million eggs.

 

However, officials acknowledged that the measure may not provide immediate relief. It is expected to take about two months for the imported eggs to be hatched, raised and processed into chicken products available in stores.

 

The ministry is also reviewing measures to ask major poultry producers to refrain from raising prices during the period.

 

- Asia Today