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Zoonotic disease spread spikes livestock product prices

Published: 16 Mar. 2026, 17:44 Updated: 16 Mar. 2026, 18:38

Livestock products are displayed at a large supermarket in Seoul on March 16. [NEWS1]

Prices of livestock products are on the rise as infectious diseases carried by animals, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) and African swine fever (ASF), spread.

With oil prices fluctuating because of tensions in the Middle East, the added jump in livestock prices, which directly affects household grocery bills, is deepening inflation concerns.

Government data released Monday showed the livestock products price index in February rose 6 percent from a year earlier. Pork prices climbed 7.3 percent and egg prices jumped 6.7 percent. Compared with 2020, egg prices have soared 41.6 percent, while chicken prices have risen 31.8 percent and pork prices 28 percent.

The upward trend has continued this month. The average retail price for 10 extra-large eggs from March 9 to Monday stood at 3,892 won ($2.67), up 19 percent from a year earlier, according to livestock distribution data from the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation.

The price of a single egg has remained near 400 won since late 2025. The average price of a tray of 30 extra-large eggs was 6,762 won over the same period, up 2.8 percent from a year earlier.

The rise is widely seen as the result of declining egg production as highly pathogenic AI has continued to spread for six months. More than 9.8 million laying hens have been culled this winter because of highly pathogenic AI. That is roughly double the 4.83 million culled a year earlier and the highest figure in five years.

Last week, the retail price of broiler chicken reached 6,252 won per kilogram, 11.7 percent higher than a year earlier.

Eggs are displayed at a large supermarket in Seoul on March 13. [YONHAP]

Although the government expanded egg discount support and imported additional fresh eggs from the United States, those measures were not enough to curb price increases amid surging demand linked to the new school term and the growing number of birds culled. The Center for Agricultural Outlook at the Korea Rural Economic Institute forecast that farm gate prices for extra-large eggs and broilers in March would each rise about 13 percent from 2025, to around 1,800 won per tray and 2,200 won per kilogram, respectively.

Pork prices are also rising. In the second week of this month, samgyeopsal (pork belly) cost 2,629 won per 100 grams and pork neck cost 2,456 won per 100 grams, up 3.5 percent and 4.4 percent from a year earlier, respectively. Pork shoulder was priced at 1,531 won per 100 grams, up 6.4 percent from last year.

There have already been 22 confirmed cases of ASF this year, the highest number on record. Even though it is still only mid-March, that is more than the combined total of 17 cases recorded in 2024 and 2025. The number of pigs culled has already reached 150,000, 4.4 times the 34,000 culled last year. Hanwoo prices are also rising as the number of cattle slaughtered domestically declines.

There are growing concerns that holes in the country’s livestock disease control system could push prices even higher. Following outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI and ASF, foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed again in late January for the first time in nine months, extending the spread of the country’s three major livestock diseases.

All three are regarded by the World Organisation for Animal Health as highly contagious livestock diseases that can cause major damage to international trade.

Quarantine authorities carry out control and disinfection work after an outbreak of highly pathogenic African swine fever (ASF) is reported at a pig farm in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 20. [NEWS1]

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ response to livestock infectious diseases came under fire at a plenary meeting of the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee last Wednesday.

Lawmakers in particular said the detection of the ASF genotype IGR-I for the first time in compound feed made with pig blood from domestic slaughterhouses exposed weaknesses in the country’s disease-control system. Of the 22 ASF cases confirmed this year, 19 involved IGR-I, a strain believed to have originated overseas.

“We immediately disposed of the feed in question,” a ministry official said. “We are also pushing ahead with preemptive quarantine measures, including the recall, disposal and inspection of related products, as well as a nationwide inspection of pig farms. We also plan to draw up safety management measures for the use of domestically produced plasma protein feed ingredients that could raise concerns about the spread of ASF so that this does not happen again.”

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 KIM KYUNG-HEE [[email protected]]