SEJONG — Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung rejected claims that the government wasted 80 billion won ($60 million) importing fresh eggs from Brazil, saying the imports actually totaled 1.6 billion won and were intended to diversify supplies.
In a post on X, Song said Tuesday that South Korea had imported 1.12 million Brazilian eggs this year, accounting for about 0.8 percent of the country’s total egg imports.
She described allegations circulating in some media reports and online posts as false.
Song said the government temporarily imported fresh eggs to ease supply shortages and rising prices following outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Outbreaks had barred imports from many nearby countries, she said. Even countries without outbreaks could not immediately supply eggs unless bilateral quarantine and inspection arrangements were already in place.
Some eligible exporters, including Thailand, lacked sufficient volumes to meet South Korea’s needs, according to Song.
She said the limited trial of Brazilian imports was also intended to establish a potential supplier in the Southern Hemisphere, where seasonal conditions differ from those of South Korea’s existing suppliers, all located in the Northern Hemisphere.
The initiative aimed to reduce reliance on suppliers such as the United States and prepare for possible disruptions caused by future animal disease outbreaks in exporting countries, she said.
Song defended the imports as part of the government’s responsibility to secure food supplies during market disruptions. She criticized claims of wasteful spending or ulterior motives, saying they misrepresented the initiative without verifying basic facts.
She said the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs would continue responding to what she called misinformation and false reports while working to stabilize food prices and maintain reliable supplies.
shinyb@heraldcorp.com