A vehicle sprays disinfectant on a road in Gwangju, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Jan. 31, 2017, as a precaution to prevent the spread of avian influenza after seven pigeons were found dead there. The nation’s deadliest outbreak of bird flu has ravaged poultry farms nationwide since mid-November. (Yonhap)
Eggs from US chicken farmers have now arrived in South Korea to stop the rise in prices caused by the ongoing bird flu epidemic. Fortunately there was no one out protesting about Mad Egg Disease or any other nonsense to stop this US import like we have seen in the past:
Eggs imported from the United States began to hit shelves Saturday, industry sources said, as the government seeks to contain rising egg prices amid the outbreak of bird flu.
About 96 tons of eggs from the U.S. passed the state food regulator’s quarantine review earlier in the day, the sources said, a week after they arrived in South Korea to serve as a cheaper alternative to the expensive eggs from local farms.
Local egg prices jumped in recent weeks as South Korea is struggling to control the spread of bird flu that has led to more than 30 million chickens and ducks being culled since the outbreak in mid-November.
Right after the eggs cleared procedures for safety checks, distributors transported some of them to discount supermarket chains in Seoul and adjacent areas, according to the sources.
They said that distribution of the imported eggs began Saturday, and most consumers will be able to purchase them at supermarket chains starting early next week.
A carton of 30 U.S. eggs was being sold at 8,950 won (US$7.61) at a mart in southwest Seoul, almost 1,000 won less than the cheapest bundle of local eggs being sold, according to an official. [Yonhap]
For anyone looking to make some easy money in Korea, get yourself some egg laying chickens that don’t have the bird flu virus because the price of eggs is skyrocketing:
A staff at an egg wholesale market in Jung-gu, Seoul, is counting stocks that are attracting desperate consumers. / Yonhap
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it is discussing with Korea ways for American egg producers to tap into the Korean market that is suffering from an egg shortage as a result of a massive outbreak of avian influenza.
Amid the rising egg prices due to the outbreak of bird flu that was detected in November, the department spokesperson said that the U.S. and Korea are “engaged in technical discussions to provide access for U.S. egg producers to the Korean liquid egg market.
“Imports from the U.S. could help limit escalating production costs for processed food manufacturers in Korea and shield consumers from soaring egg prices,” the official added.
He did not mention when the U.S. will start exporting eggs to Korea.
Starting Saturday, the Korean discount store chain Homeplus raised the retail price of 30 eggs by 9.6 percent to 7,990 won ($6.67) at its 142 stores. Homeplus has increased its egg prices five times in a month and retail prices have jumped 31.4 percent over the month.
The latest price hike by Homeplus came a day after its rival Emart increased the price of 30 eggs by 8.6 percent to 7,580 won.
Officials of the companies expect egg prices to go up again ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday later this month. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but the Korean government has even dropped import tariffs against US eggs until June 30th.
A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu was discovered in two dead cats on Saturday, a provincial government official said, marking the first infection of the virus found in mammals in two years.
The H5N6 strain of avian influenza (AI) which has infected chickens across the country was found in the bodies of the cats in Pocheon, some 46 kilometers north of Seoul, the official said, citing information from health authorities.
The cats were found dead earlier this week some 2 kilometers from a chicken farm where the strain of the virus was first reported last month. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but this seems pretty significant because if the bird flu spreads to cats it is an animal that people are more likely to handle than chickens.
The government is issuing a 48-hour temporary nationwide “standstill” order this weekend banning the movement of poultry in an effort to prevent the spread of bird flu.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs came to the decision at a meeting Friday as the bird flu alert status was raised from “caution” to “alert.”
The two-day standstill applies all day Saturday and Sunday.
Some 89-thousand poultry farms, slaughter houses, fodder plants and related vehicles registered with the Korea Animal Health Integrated System(KAHIS) are subject to the order.
The move comes amid outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain of avian influenza(AI) at farms nationwide. [KBS World Radio]
