The outbreak of bird flu and the subsequent massive culling of poultry in South Korea have sent local egg prices skyrocketing 20 percent this month, industry data said Thursday.

In contrast, however, demand for chicken nosedived apparently due to growing safety concern among consumers, pushing down poultry prices, they said.


The price of a carton of 30 eggs has spiked by some 20 percent this month compared with the previous month to over 7,200 won ($5.96) at Homeplus, one of the major retailers in the country.

E-Mart, the country's No.1 retailer, also raised the egg price by the same margin this month, the sources said.

About 27 million head of poultry have been destroyed, including egg-laying hens, after the country reported the bird flu outbreak in mid-November.

Even some stores have curbed customers to one carton of eggs per person due to supply shortage, and major bakery shops halted the production of pastries and egg-consuming breads and general consumers switched to other foods because of reduced egg supply.

The government earlier said it would consider importing eggs and lifting tariffs on egg imports, to ease the shortage.

Meanwhile, chicken prices have dropped this month from last month, but the prices will recover down the road on the back of a recovery in demand and an increase in supply, the sources said.

The price of chicken meat per 1 kilogram plunged to 1,390 won from 1,890 won at the end of last month, according to the sources.

The prices of chicken may rise by 30 percent next month ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday that falls in late January, they said. (Yonhap)