Korea to Allow Imports of Fresh Eggs and MotherChicken to Supplement Reduced Local Supply under Avian Influenza [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20161220/81941522/1

Summary:Korea Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has come to aconclusion in an internal meeting held on December 19 that it should considerbanning of egg supply from all the egg farms in the 35 areas in Korea whereavian influenza (AI) broke out to prevent further spread of the disease. MAFRA has also suggested that it should also consider the option of allowingimports of fresh eggs and mother chicken to supplement the reduced supply ofeggs from local farms and to rebuild the local egg farm industry as asignificant number of mother eggs was depopulated due to the outbreak of avianinfluenza.  Junwon Lee, vice minister of MAFRA added that fresh eggs andmother chicken are available for importation from “AI-free” countries,including the U.S., Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Australia.  Lotte Mart,the third largest hypermarket grocery store chain in Korea, announced that itwould limit the number of fresh eggs that each shopper could buy to a 30 eggpack from December 20.  Lotte Mart also raised the price of eggs by 10percent.  Lotte Mart said the supply of fresh eggs has reduced down to a60 percent of normal level.  Other major hypermarket grocery store chains,E Mart and Home Plus, have also raised the price of fresh eggs over 10 percentduring the last two weeks.  The number of depopulated chicken and duckshas gone over a record high, 20 million as of December 20.  The AI was bya high pathogen H5N6 type virus.  However, MAFRA has reported that itsexamination of a dirt from a migrating bird group in Ansung creek area,Gyeonggi province on December 12 identified another high pathogen H5N8 type AIvirus.  This is the first time in Korea that AI outbreaks were caused bytwo different types of viruses.

Households that Spend Less than 1 Million Won aMonth Mark a Seven Year High [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20161219/81941208/1

Summary:According to the Korea National Statistics Office, the number of households(that have two or larger number of members) that spend less than 1 million won(about $910) a month accounted for a 13.01 percent of the total households inKorea in the third quarter 2016, marking a seven year high.  The previoushigh was 11.70 percent recorded in the third quarter 2013.  Extendeddownturn of the Korean economy has assumingly pressured the low incomehouseholds to tighten up their spending.

A Crisis on Korean Consumers’ Price - ShoppingBaskets Getting Lighter Day by Day [Korean, YSY]

http://hankookilbo.com/v/64a313a1d4ff409a92f8ccc46bcfabe6

Summary:A red light is lit on citizen’s cost of living.  Oil prices have beencontinuously rising and prices of the products closely linked to people’s livessuch as beer, bread, eggs and Ramyons (Korean instant noodles) aresimultaneously increasing.  As consumer prices go up while householdincome doesn’t, Koreans will have a hard time making ends meet in the nearfuture.

Pimentos Out, Paprikas In [Korean, YSY]

http://hankookilbo.com/v/596ebc5f7e654e30afee454c05dbefa0

Summary:Statistics Korea (a Korean government agency for national statistical affairs)decided to revise the consumer price index used for the past 5 years.  Lessconsumed products such as paper dictionaries, magazines and pimento will be outof the index, but newly emerging goods including blueberries, paprika, andalmonds will be in. 

Snow on the Ice-H5N8 Bird Flu Virus Also Confirmedover the Weekend [Korean, YSY]

http://hankookilbo.com/v/89e5b057bea44968aeea120c47d15642

Summary:While the worst-ever avian influenza continues to spread in the country despiteincreased quarantine efforts, MAFRAㅡ confirmed Sunday that they found the H5N8bird flu virus strain in wild bird excrement collected from the Ansung Streamin Gyeonggi Province last week.  Though MAFRA is still investigating if itis high pathogenic, this marks the first confirmed multi bird flu cases inKorea.

Korean Government Announces the Highest, 'Serious'Level Alert in the Country as Avian Influenza Spreads Further [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20161216/81866669/1

Summary:The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) is scheduled toannounce 'Serious' level alert on December 16 as avian influenza continues tospread in the country.  'Serious' is the highest level of alert availablein the livestock safety management system that the Korean government operates. Under 'Serious' level alert, all supply chain for livestock products inthe country, including slaughter houses and street markets, could be ordered tohalt operation to prevent further expansion of the food safety risk.

Microwavable, Cooked Rice in Self Serving Containerto Generate 300 Billion Won Sales in 2017 ... Rapid Growth due to IncreasedNumber of People Living Alone [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20161215/81866202/1

Summary:CJ Cheiljedang, the leading food processor in Korea, reported on December 15that the marker for cooked rice in self-serving container in Korea is forecastto reach 300 billion won of sales in 2017, up 20 percent from 2016.  Therapid growth is in line with a rapid increase of consumers who livealone.  'Hatban', the leading brand in the market by CJ Cheiljedangcurrently has over 67 percent of the market share.  CJ plans to addadditional products under Hatban brand with a diversity of added grains andflavors.

15 Million Birds were Depopulated for AvianInfluenza ... A Record High Damage to Local Poultry Industry [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20161215/81846605/1

Summary:The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced onDecember 14 that 10.6 million chicken and ducks had been depopulated withadditional 3.8 million scheduled to be depopulated soon in Korea as of midnightDecember 14.  Total number of depopulated birds were forecast to go over arecord high 15 million in a few days.  The damage done to the industry sofar under the outbreak of avian influenza accounted for a 9.8 percent of thechicken in the egg farms and a 16.4 percent of ducks in Korea.  HyundaiEconomic Institute estimated that the economic value of the damage would beabout 430 billion won (about $400 million).  E Mart, the leadinghypermarket grocery store chain in Korea, announced that it would raise theprice of eggs again by another 300 won per a 30 egg pack from December 15(about 5 percent increase in the price).  E Mart increased the egg price aweek ago by 300 won per a 30 egg pack.

Starbucks Korea Opens 1,000th Store [Korea, OSY]

http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2016121401072203016001

Summary:Starbucks Korea announced that its 1,000th store in Korea started operation onDecember 14.  Starbucks entered the Korean market in July 1999.  Ittook 17 years for the company to expand its operation to 1,000 stores. Korea has become the fifth country in the world that has 1,000 or moreStarbucks stores.  Starbucks now has 1,000 or more stores in the U.S.,Canada, China, Japan and Korea.

Bakeries Worry over Reduced Supply of Eggs underAvian Influenza [Korean, OSY]

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2016121325791

Summary:Many bakeries are reportedly having a problem with reduced supply of eggs underthe on-going avian influenza outbreaks.  Bakeries reported that the supplyof eggs from existing sources have declined by about 30 percent.  As aresult, bakeries are trying to secure additional sources for eggs.  SPCGroup, the leading window bakery store chain in Korea reported that it was alsoseeking for additional egg farms to contract as some of its existing egg supplyfarms were infected with the virus and were not producing eggs any more. Grocery stores are also making efforts to deal with the reduced supply of eggs. For example, grocery stores started to offer lower quality eggs toconsumers to fill the supply gap for the regular, first grade eggs.  Somestores were limiting the number of eggs that each consumer could buy at onetime.