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Egg prices surge due to new strain of bird flu

Published: 06 Jan. 2026, 19:23 Updated: 06 Jan. 2026, 21:12

A customer buys eggs at a supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 6. [NEWS1]

Egg prices are surging in Korea once again as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) spreads more quickly in poultry farms than in previous years, leading to a sharp decline in supply.

According to data from the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation on Tuesday, the nationwide average retail price of a tray of 30 extra-large eggs was 7,045 won ($5) as of Monday, up 3.3 percent from 6,823 won just a month ago. The figure also marks a 13.5 percent increase from 6,206 won a year earlier. In Sejong, prices have already hit 7,990 won, effectively reaching the 8,000 won mark.

Egg prices previously surpassed 7,000 won with May 2025's 7,026 won — the first time that it did so in nearly four years, since July 2021’s 7,477 won. After falling to the 6,000 won range in late November and early December last year, prices began climbing again in late December.

The primary driver of the recent spike is the rapid spread of the H5N1 strain of HPAI, which the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs says is over 10 times more infectious than previous strains in Korea.

As a result, the disease is breaching quarantine barriers across the country. Since the onset of this winter, 32 outbreaks have been reported at poultry farms and 22 among wild birds — a significant increase from the 21 farm outbreaks recorded during the same period last year. Poultry-heavy regions have recorded the most cases: Gyeonggi and Jeolla with nine and Chungcheong with 13.

HPAI has a high mortality rate, and if even one bird tests positive at a farm, the entire flock must be culled. As of Tuesday, 4.32 million laying hens had been culled due to HPAI, according to the Agriculture Ministry. With Korea’s average laying hen population resting at around 70 million and daily egg production at approximately 50 million, the culling is estimated to have reduced daily egg output by about 6 percent.

Access to a laying hen farm in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, is restricted on Dec. 26, 2025, after a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed there the previous day. [YONHAP]

HPAI outbreaks during winter are a recurring issue in Korea and are driven by a combination of factors: the arrival of migratory birds, the virus's durability in low temperatures and the dense, enclosed environments common in poultry farming. This winter marks the first time that three bird flu subtypes — H5N1, H5N6 and H5N9 — have been detected in both wild birds and farmed poultry in the country.

“Outbreak sites this winter have been found to be more widely contaminated than in previous seasons,” an Agriculture Ministry official said. “Epidemiological investigations show that viral infectivity is not only higher, but also that many farms failed to fully adhere to basic quarantine protocols.”

The government has launched an aggressive campaign to contain the virus. The agriculture minister launched a central disaster response headquarters for bird flu, which will dispatch inspectors to all 539 laying hen farms nationwide for two weeks through Jan. 16, restricting livestock vehicle access and checking for quarantine violations.

Through Jan. 14, roads near migratory bird habitats and surrounding poultry farms will be disinfected at least twice a day as part of a nationwide intensive sanitation effort.

To stabilize prices, the government is also working to expand supply. Starting this month, 4,000 tons of processed egg products will be imported under a tariff quota. Authorities also plan to support price reductions in egg supply contracts.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]