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Gov't to hold weekly supply reviews of key agricultural, livestock products

Published: 12 Jan. 2026, 21:29

Korean pork, or handon, is on display at a supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 9. [NEWS1]

The government will designate key agricultural and livestock products each month and hold weekly supply reviews chaired by vice ministers, as part of efforts to address food supply instability.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held its first such meeting on Monday, led by Park Jung-hoon, deputy minister for food grain policy. This month’s priority items include rice, strawberries, hanwoo (Korean beef) and eggs.

The ministry said that overall agricultural product prices remain relatively stable. Vegetables such as napa cabbage and radish, which had previously experienced unstable supplies, have recovered in yield and are expected to be supplied smoothly during the Lunar New Year holiday next month. Citrus fruits are also forecast to remain stable due to increased winter shipments.

Livestock products, however, are facing price pressure. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is affecting egg and chicken supplies, while a decline in cattle numbers has pushed up hanwoo prices. Egg imports are planned to begin early next month after the selection of domestic importers is finalized. To help stabilize prices ahead of the Lunar New Year, discount programs for eggs and pork will be offered through producer-funded subsidies.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung speaks during a policy briefing by affiliated agencies at the government complex in Sejong on Jan. 12. [YONHAP]

Processed food and dining-out prices continue to rise due to the higher won-dollar exchange rate and increased global raw material prices. However, the ministry said the pace of increases is slowing.

“At this point, we do not expect further rises in processed food prices due to the exchange rate,” Minister Song Mi-ryung said at a press briefing, noting that the prices of some raw materials have started to decline internationally.

Meanwhile, Korea’s agricultural and food products exports reached an all-time high in 2025, rising 5.1 percent year-on-year to $13.62 billion. Ramyeon, or instant noodles, led the growth, with exports jumping 21.9 percent to a record $1.52 billion — the first time any Korean food product has surpassed the $1.5 billion mark.

The ministry has set this year’s agriculture and food products export target at $16 billion, up 17 percent from last year. The original target was $15 billion, but President Lee Jae Myung called for a higher goal during a recent policy briefing.

“It’s an ambitious target,” said Minister Song, “but with global enthusiasm for K-food still strong, we are determined to push harder and make it happen."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]