Korean Government reaches out to U.S. Egg Industry In The Midst of Bird Flu Epidemic

South Korea is experiencing a significant shortage of eggs because the bird flu has reached unprecedented levels. This recent flare-up has forced the killing of more than 32 million birds, most of them egg-laying hens. The upcoming Lunar New Year has compounded this limited supply due to Koreans traditionally consuming more eggs during this time. Furthermore, egg prices have surged since November when the first case was verified.

Filling the gap is emergency imports of almost 25 million eggs, mostly from the United States. In addition to importing eggs, the Korean Agriculture Ministry will import 200,000 baby chicks and breeding chickens to replace flocks. These birds will come from bird-flu-free countries, such as the U.S., Spain and Australia. However, these new birds will not be ready to lay eggs until later in 2017.