"Summer Expected to Be Hotter and Wetter"... Government to Intensively Manage 'Napa Cabbage, Eggs, and Chicken'

Supply and Demand Stabilization Plan for Agricultural, Livestock, and Marine Products in Preparation for Summer Heatwaves and Heavy Rain

With concerns that this summer's temperatures will be higher and rainfall greater than normal, the government has decided to intensively manage items at risk of supply instability—such as napa cabbage, radish, eggs, and chicken—through the Summer Season Agricultural and Livestock Product Supply and Demand Stabilization Task Force.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced these measures at the "Special Task Force Meeting for the Management of Essential Consumer Prices" held on June 4, presenting the "Supply and Demand Stabilization Plan for Agricultural, Livestock, and Marine Products in Preparation for Summer Heatwaves and Heavy Rain."

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average summer temperature over the past 10 years has been 24.6 degrees Celsius, about 1 degree higher than the average of 23.7 degrees Celsius from 1991 to 2020." The official added, "During June and July (the monsoon season), rainfall is expected to exceed average levels, and the frequency of localized downpours is projected to increase."

Accordingly, starting June 15, the Ministry will form a public-private joint task force with the Rural Development Administration, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NongHyup), Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), and Korea Rural Economic Institute to inspect factors that could destabilize supply and to ensure rapid response.

In particular, the Ministry will select key items for supply management—including napa cabbage, lettuce, apples, peaches, pork, chicken, and eggs—to conduct real-time monitoring of growth and breeding trends and implement preemptive measures to stabilize supply. Specifically, the Ministry will work to expand the supply capacity of at-risk items such as napa cabbage, radish, eggs, and chicken. For napa cabbage and radish, the government will secure available stocks through purchase and storage (15,000 tons of napa cabbage and 6,000 tons of radish) to ensure emergency supply in case of decreased shipments, and encourage expansion of cultivation area for shipments after September through advance purchase contracts.

For eggs, imports will be diversified from the United States, Thailand, Brazil, and other countries, with 31.23 million fresh eggs to be imported and supplied. As of June 1, 8.99 million fresh eggs had already been imported from the United States and Thailand. Imported fresh eggs will be sold at 5,990 won per tray of 30 eggs (compared to the May retail price of 7,404 won) to minimize price increases by retailers. For chicken, in preparation for peak summer demand (initial, middle, and final days of the hottest period), 11 million fertilized eggs for hatching will be imported by the end of June, and the remaining 6 million will be imported and supplied sequentially by the end of August.

Additionally, the Ministry will apply quota tariffs to 12,000 tons of pork, 30,000 tons of chicken, and 4,000 tons of processed egg products to distribute processing and restaurant demand, while providing discounts (up to 40%) on items experiencing price increases or substituted consumption to help ease the burden of grocery prices for consumers.

Measures will also be taken to strengthen crop management and support swift disaster recovery and the resumption of farming in case of poor harvests and reduced productivity. To curb the spread of pests and diseases, the government will expand support for pest control and the supply of pesticides and nutrients. In the event of a disaster, advance procurement of 2.5 million seedlings will be secured to enable rapid replanting, and on-site technical support will be provided to prevent the spread of plant diseases and pests.

For marine products, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will work to stabilize supply during the summer by expanding real-time sea temperature monitoring networks and providing real-time information, while encouraging early shipment of vulnerable species such as rockfish, flounder, and abalone through promotional events. An official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries stated, "We will expand the sea temperature monitoring network and information sharing, and distribute high-temperature response equipment such as liquid oxygen supply devices at the largest scale ever to prevent supply issues caused by mass deaths," adding, "Through the operation of an emergency response headquarters, we will strengthen on-site guidance and monitoring of areas at risk to minimize damage through timely measures."

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