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Gov't partially lifts ban on Brazilian chicken imports amid avian influenza outbreak

Published: 23 May. 2025, 16:02 Updated: 23 May. 2025, 18:01

Chicken is on sale at a large supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 23. [NEWS1]

Korea's fried chicken franchises can breathe a sigh of relief as the government decided to partially lift its ban on Brazilian chicken imports, allowing shipments from regions unaffected by avian influenza.

The decision came during a price-related vice-ministerial meeting on Friday. Officials said chicken produced in Brazilian regions free from highly pathogenic avian influenza can now be imported under a regionalized approach. The government will also encourage importers to release their stockpiles into the market and increase the supply of domestically produced chicken.

Previously, following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a chicken farm in Brazil, the government imposed a full ban on imports of Brazilian poultry meat and products starting from May 15.

Last year, Korea imported 158,000 tons of chicken from Brazil, which accounted for 86.1 percent of its total chicken imports of 183,600 tons. This volume represented 20 percent of Korea’s total chicken consumption of 791,000 tons in the same year.

Brazilian chicken is considered more affordable than domestic chicken and is usually imported boneless, making it easier to use in cooking. Many franchise chains that serve burgers and fried chicken use Brazilian chicken, and concerns over ingredient supply have recently grown in the dining-out sector.

Chicken is on sale at a large supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 23. [NEWS1]

To minimize supply instability, the government decided to allow imports only of chicken produced in influenza-free regions in Brazil. It will also conduct an import risk assessment and enter discussions with Brazil to resume imports as soon as possible.

To ease consumer concerns, the government will strengthen quarantine procedures by verifying whether imported chicken was indeed produced in influenza-free areas and by checking Brazil’s disease prevention and hygiene practices.

Separately, the government plans to actively encourage importers to release their stocks of Brazilian chicken compiled during the import ban period. The average monthly consumption of imported chicken is about 15,000 tons, and importers typically maintain a two- to three-month inventory.

The government will also request cooperation from related distributors and associations to prevent importers from raising delivery prices, which could otherwise lead to higher food and dining costs.

In addition, it plans to expand the supply of domestically produced chicken in cooperation with local poultry producers.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]