'44,000 Won per Tray' Controversy Over Brazilian Egg Imports... Ministry of Agriculture: 'Aimed at Securing Supply Chains'

Ministry: "Of 1.6 Billion Won in Costs to Import Brazilian Eggs, 200 Million Won Went to Purchases"
"The Rest Went to Transportation and Tariffs... Import Price: 43,923 Won per 30 Eggs"

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in response to criticism that it had wasted public funds by importing Brazilian eggs at high prices this year that 1.4 billion won of the 1.6 billion won in costs related to importing fresh eggs went toward transportation by domestic airlines, tariffs and other expenses. It also said the Brazilian eggs accounted for only about 0.8% of total imports.

People look at eggs at a large supermarket in central Seoul. Yonhap News Agency

In an explanatory statement issued on Oct. 15, the ministry said the import price for Brazilian eggs was 43,923 won per 30 eggs, reflecting the costs of long-distance air transport, tariffs and other factors.

The ministry also stressed that the imports of fresh eggs were a policy measure to stabilize egg supply and demand and ease the burden on consumers, not a commercial transaction intended to generate sales profits. It added, "We applied a policy-set supply price regardless of the procurement cost in each country of origin, and the average supply price over the entire import period was about 131 won per egg."

Packaged fresh eggs from Brazil. Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT)

Brazilian Eggs Accounted for 0.8% of Total Imports... 1.4 Billion Won of 1.6 Billion Won in Import Costs Went to Transport and Tariffs

This year, the government imported 133.24 million fresh eggs from four countries: the United States, Thailand, Brazil and Denmark. Total costs for importing and distributing the eggs domestically came to about 81.9 billion won.

Brazilian eggs accounted for about 0.8% of total imports, or 1.12 million eggs, with import costs of about 1.6 billion won. About 200 million won was spent on purchasing the eggs locally, while about 1.4 billion won went toward air freight, tariffs and other import-related expenses.

Including the costs of long-distance air transport and tariffs, the import price for Brazilian eggs was 43,923 won per 30 eggs. The ministry said Korean Air cargo planes were used for transportation and the tariff revenue went to the domestic treasury.

Ministry: "Pilot Import for Emergency Supply and Demand Needs"

The ministry said the imports were a pilot measure intended to diversify a supply structure centered on the United States and prepare for emergency supply disruptions in the event of a future outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI).

It said imports were expanded to additional countries after an outbreak of highly pathogenic AI last winter led to the culling of 11.34 million domestic laying hens, while the spread of AI in the United States also disrupted supply, including the cancellation of imports under contracted orders.

Ministry: "Significant Fiscal Burden... Assessing the Appropriateness and Effectiveness of Import Costs"

The ministry said the pilot imports enabled it to verify the procedures required to bring Brazilian eggs into the country, including quarantine, customs clearance and domestic distribution. However, given the high transportation costs and fiscal burden associated with long-distance shipping, it plans to comprehensively assess whether the import costs were appropriate and how effective the pilot imports were. It will decide whether to import eggs in the future, and in what quantities, based on domestic supply and demand and transportation costs.

Some had previously argued that the government wasted public funds by importing Brazilian eggs at high prices and supplying them domestically at low prices. In connection with these claims, President Lee Jaemyung instructed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Miryeong to respond firmly to the spread of false information about imported Brazilian eggs during a closed-door cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House on Oct. 13.

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