South Korea’s egg production declines after avian influenza culls 11.3 million laying hens
Authorities expect production to recover from August as replacement flocks begin laying.
SOUTH KOREA – South Korea’s egg production has dropped below the level required to maintain a balanced domestic market after a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that began in November 2025 resulted in the culling of approximately 11.3 million laying hens, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
The outbreak reduced daily egg production to between 46 million and 47 million eggs, falling short of the 50 million eggs per day that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs says is needed to maintain a stable balance between supply and demand.
The ministry said the decline in production was also influenced by culling at breeder farms, cases of wasting disease, repeated livestock movement restrictions and tighter regulations governing stocking densities at poultry farms.
Although the country’s overall laying hen population increased compared with the previous year, these challenges continued to limit egg output, preventing production from consistently reaching levels required to meet domestic demand.
The ministry expects chicks placed on farms during the spring production cycle to begin laying eggs by the end of July, allowing national egg production to gradually recover to average levels from August.
Trade continues despite production challenges
South Korea produces approximately 0.75 million tonnes of eggs annually, representing about 0.9% of global egg production, although disease outbreaks have caused daily output to fluctuate between 46 million and 52 million eggs.
The country’s processed egg market is valued at approximately US$1.2 billion, while annual egg exports are worth about US$3 million and imports total around US$3.9 million.
Hong Kong remains the largest export destination for South Korean eggs, receiving products worth approximately US$2.83 million, followed by the United States at US$107,000, China at US$31,000, Micronesia at US$16,000 and Russia at US$9,000.
Most exported products are processed or specialised egg products, with the country also expanding trial shipments to selected Western markets as it seeks to diversify export opportunities while rebuilding domestic production.
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