The South Korean government reported that the total value of fresh eggs imported from Brazil this year is 1.6 billion won. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs refuted claims that it wasted 80 billion won on Brazilian egg imports.
According to the ministry, 1.12 million Brazilian eggs have been imported this year, representing only 0.8% of the total fresh egg imports of 133.24 million.
The ministry explained that the Brazilian imports were a pilot measure aimed at diversifying the country's egg import sources, which are heavily reliant on the United States. This strategy is intended to secure alternative supply chains in case of livestock disease outbreaks in specific countries.
The increase in fresh egg imports this year is also a temporary measure to stabilize supply after the culling of approximately 11.34 million laying hens due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) last winter. The ministry acknowledged that the cost of importing Brazilian eggs may be higher than from other countries due to long-distance air transport, but emphasized the importance of evaluating the benefits of securing supply chains.
Some media outlets previously reported that the government imported Brazilian eggs at high prices and sold them cheaply domestically, leading to financial waste. They also raised concerns that 120 billion won had been spent on imported eggs while direct subsidies for laying hen farms over the past nine years amounted to only 9.7 billion won. Claims were made that 80 billion won of taxpayer money was used in the process of importing Brazilian eggs.
The ministry stated, “Reports claiming that 80 billion won of taxpayer money was wasted on Brazilian egg imports are false.” It clarified that the actual import amount from Brazil is 1.6 billion won, which constitutes only 0.8% of the total imports.
During a closed meeting of the National Assembly on the same day, President Lee Jae-myung ordered Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong to respond strictly to the spread of misinformation regarding the recent Brazilian egg imports. The ministry expressed regret over the distortion of government policy due to the reporting of incorrect information without verifying the facts.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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