aT Imports Fresh Eggs from Brazil for the First Time to Stabilize Egg Supply

Brazilian Eggs Imported Following Shipments from the United States and Thailand This Year

In order to stabilize the supply of eggs, Korea will begin importing eggs from Brazil, following imports from the United States and Thailand.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) announced on July 13 that, due to the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), domestic egg production and supply have decreased. As a result, Korea will introduce fresh white eggs from Brazil—a leading poultry producer and exporter—for the first time.

Fresh egg sorting process from Brazil. aT

According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), the average daily egg production in July is expected to be 49 million eggs, a 0.3% decrease compared to the previous month. However, production is projected to recover gradually, increasing to 49.52 million eggs in August and 50 million eggs in September.

An aT official stated, "The government is diversifying egg import sources to proactively respond to supply instability caused by avian influenza outbreaks and to secure a stable supply base. This measure is part of the egg supply stabilization policy, aiming to stabilize the market by securing import volumes from existing countries, while also newly sourcing from countries other than the United States to disperse external risks and establish a stable supply chain."

To this end, the government established quarantine agreements and import sanitary requirements between countries and registered overseas production facilities. aT utilized its São Paulo office in Brazil to investigate local egg production, price trends, and logistics conditions, providing this information to importers. Fresh eggs from Brazil have passed both animal quarantine and food safety inspections in accordance with Korean quarantine laws and have been approved for import. Customs clearance began on July 13. The Brazilian eggs being supplied correspond to the domestic XL (extra-large) size, which is the most widely consumed specification in Korean households.

aT plans to proactively respond to potential egg price increases and instability that may occur during periods of laying hen shortages caused by AI outbreaks in Korea, by identifying fresh egg import sources from North America, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia.

Lee Jaeuk, Director of Supply at aT, stated, "We will continue to actively identify new import countries and establish a stable egg supply system to help ease the burden of consumer prices. However, we will ensure that the import of fresh eggs is pursued in a balanced manner, taking into comprehensive consideration the domestic poultry industry and the domestic egg supply situation."

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