Seoul: South Korea will resume imports of poultry and related products from regions in Brazil unaffected by a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), government officials said, amid possible supply shortage concerns. The decision comes amid growing concerns over potential domestic supply shortages following the suspension of imports from the South American country, which accounts for more than 80 percent of South Korea's chicken imports.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Seoul imposed a ban on poultry imports from Brazil last Thursday, following the country's official notification to the World Organization for Animal Health of an HPAI outbreak at a breeder farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. "While the prices of agricultural products and petroleum have remained stable, the recent AI outbreak in Brazil has led to concerns over possible price fluctuations in chicken-related food products," acting Finance Minister Kim Beom-suk said during a vice-ministerial meeting on inflation held earlier in the day.
This marks the first time HPAI has been detected at a commercial poultry farm in Brazil, though the virus was initially found in wild birds in May 2023. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of chicken.