Local Chicken Growers Group’s Demonstration; Stop Selling Imported Chicken at the Homeplus   (Korean, WMJ)

http://www.hyunchuk.co.kr/news/6898

Summary: Korea Poultry Development Council (KPDC), Korea Chicken Council (KCC) and Korean Native Chicken Association (KNCA) held a press conference in front of Homeplus head office at 17^th July.   In the introductory remarks, Mr. Jung, president of KCC, said “National chicken farms are suffering from the difficulty of imported chicken products through FTA, the Homeplus has to stop selling the imported chicken.”   Mr. Kim, the president of KNCA also said “the Homeplus are pushing national chicken farms away by selling imported chicken at a low price.  They started to hold one-man demonstration at several Homeplus branches (Jamsil, Cheonho, Yatap) at 16^th July, and they expanded to 6 spot at 17^th July, whole country at 18^th July.  On July 22^nd, a grand scale demonstration will be held at Homeplus Gangdong office. 

Imported Roughage Price Jumps up Every year (Korean, WMJ)

http://www.nongmin.com/article/ar_detail.htm?ar_id=220271&subMenu=articletotal

Summary: According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), the price of several   imported roughage that usually used in livestock farm such as timothy hay, fescue, alfalfa has increased as 9.2% comparing the average price in last year.  It has shown in every year since 2009. The reason is analyzed as increasing of national demand and Chinese imports.  Relating to it, officials of livestock industry said the government should prepare a specific countermeasure for raising the efficiency of roughage production increase policy that being carried forward now with the goal as 90% self-sufficiency rate.   

Hanwoo Association struggles for recovery in Hanwoo price (Korean, WMJ)

http://mbn.mk.co.kr/pages/news/newsView.php?category=mbn00003&news_seq_no=1425026

Summary: Hanwoo Association held the press conference in front of National Assembly and disclosed that they will struggle for recovery of Hanwoo price against the government and National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF).  Also they urged government to accept their 11 requirement such as Implementation of formal purchasing for Hanwoo cattle, improvement of subsidy and shipment contract system, to lower the price of feedstuff etc.

Price of Dairy products Seems to be Raised (Korean, WMJ)

http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201307242202185&code=920100

Summary: Seoul Dairy Cooperative said they are considering raising the price of Dairy products because the price of raw milk will be raised 12.7% from August.  Specific time and width of raising have not decided yet, but in the field, it is expected that Seoul milk, the company ranked first in the industry, will take raising 350 won per liter. Then, another company will raise the price file by file.

There is no proper regulation on pet feed in Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act. (Korean, WMJ)

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2013072456021

Summary: Local pet feed industry is suffering to launch their products in the market from the absence of relevant regulation in Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act.  For exporting pet feed, it is required to get related document from a local government, but they can’t receive them due to absence of relevant regulation.  Also, under the current law, they have to mark material in scientific term that customer can’t understand easily.  But large global company indicates that in easy word even considering it, so it functions as barrier to national industry.  

2. MARKETING ISSUES

Daiso “Dollar Shop” Targets to Open 1,000th Store by the End of Next Year [Korean, OSY]

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2013072291821

Summary: Chairman JB Park of Daiso Korea, the leading “dollar shop” retail chain in Korea announced on July 22 that Daiso targets to increase the total number of stores in Korea from the current 900 to 1,000 by the end of 2014.  Chairman Park added that total sales of the chain will also target to increase from 900 billion won to 1 trillion won.

Fresh Lettuce Price Jumps Three Times in a Month due to Extended Heavy Rain [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20130724/56647608/1

Summary: According to the retail industry, price of fresh lettuce sold in hypermarket grocery stores went up three times in a month to 3,500 won per 150 gram bag as of July 23.  Supply of fresh vegetables has been seriously disrupted due to heavy rain falls continued in the market through July.

Gov’t Seeks to Further Reduce Import Tariff on Table Sugar in 2014 [Korean, OSY]

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2013072590831

Summary: According to the industry, Korean government is planning to reduce import tariff on table sugar by five percent in 2014.  The tariff was once lowered from 35 percent to 30 percent in 2012 as a measure to stabilize the local table sugar price.  Korean government maintains an idea that further decline in the tariff is needed to stabilize the local price.  However local table sugar processors are against the plan claiming that further reduction in the tariff will dismantle the business ground of local industry.

Lotte Mart Opens 34th Store in Indonesia … Total Stores in Foreign Markets Increase to 247 [Korean, OSY]

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2013072590811

Summary: Lotte Mart announced that its 34^th store in Indonesia was opened on July 25.  The store will also mark 247^th store that Lotte Market has in foreign markets.

3. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

The price of vegetables is increasing very sharply. (Korean, WMJ)

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2013072291491

Summary:  The retail price of vegetable that used for table such as squash, lettuce, spinach, cucumber is increased more than 50% for a week.  Because of a heavy rain in central area especially in Gangwon and Kyeonggi areas, the price of vegetables produced in there is also highly increased.  So, not only the supply of agricultural product is decreased but also a few main food distribution enterprises such as CJ, Dongwon Homefood, Ourhome stopped taking an order, and self-employed people increase using of Chinese vegetable.   

Sales of mineral water jump up rapidly, but not for the imported ones (Korean, WMJ)

http://news.hankooki.com/lpage/economy/201307/h2013072203302221500.htm

Summary:  Sales of mineral water ranked in second beating soybean milk for the first time.  But imports of high valued mineral water have been reduced sharply.  Recession that appears from last year makes people turn their face away from imports, and launching the premium-level national products is also the reason.  

Bad crop situation has been continued   (Korean, WMJ)

http://joongang.joins.com/article/aid/2013/07/23/11739343.html?cloc=olink|article|default

Summary: Production of typical summer fruits such as peach, tomato and plums are suffering from bad crops due to the bad weather condition. Unusually cold temperature in the spring season, a heavy rain and drought in this summer seasons are the main reasons. Vegetables and fruits are in harvest depression by water bomb in the central area, drought in the southern area each.  As a result of bad weather, recently, the price of fruit is getting increase day by day, while imported agricultural products such as cherry, mango increased their market share instead.

2011 FSMA Causes High Entry Reservation for Korean Agricultural Exports (Korean, WMJ)

http://www.nongmin.com/article/ar_detail.htm?ar_id=220148&subMenu=articletotal

Summary: The cases of entry deferment for Korean agricultural products exported to U.S l have been increased highly since 2011.  According to aT center in Los Angeles, totally 450 cases were deferred in 2012, and it is an increase of 11.6% than 2011, 130% from 2010 each.  Related to it, Mr. Lee, Won Kee, the CEO of the aT center in Los Angeles said the reason why deferment cases are increasing is that the revision of FSMA which reinforces the safety standard for agricultural products took effect from January 2011, and strengthen sanitation on minority ethnic group’s product such as fresh, dry and processed agricultural product.