Bird flu outbreak devastates South Korean egg production, triggering massive imports

Highly pathogenic avian influenza during the 2025-2026 season eliminated approximately 11.3 million layers—13.6% of South Korea's total layer inventory—while also reducing breeder stock critical for broiler production. The shortage severely disrupted domestic egg output and drove prices upward, rippling through livestock sectors. To stabilize markets and supply, authorities imported 17 million hatching eggs from Europe and plan to import 200 million table eggs from the United States and Thailand.

South Korea's poultry sector faced significant disruption during the 2025-2026 season when avian flu struck farms across the country. The layer flock experienced the most severe consequences, with over 11 million birds culled to contain the outbreak. Equally concerning was the loss of breeding stock used to produce chicks for meat production, comprising roughly 5% of the parent stock population and threatening the continuity of broiler supply chains.

To mitigate supply shortages and price volatility, South Korean authorities pursued an import strategy on two fronts. Hatching eggs sourced from Belgium and Spain arrived in multiple shipments to help domestic producers rebuild breeding capacity. Simultaneously, plans for importing table eggs from overseas suppliers aimed to ease consumer prices and stabilize the broader livestock sector, which had experienced price increases as egg costs rose.