US scrambles to clear egg exports to bird flu-hit Korea

[CHICAGO] US officials are urgently seeking an agreement with South Korea that would allow imports of American eggs so farmers can cash in on a shortage caused by the Asian country's worst-ever outbreak of bird flu.

South Korea banned imports of US table eggs last year after the United States grappled with its own bout of bird flu.

If a new agreement is reached, US shipments could bring some relief to South Koreans who have faced soaring egg prices and rationing since the outbreak there began last month.

The egg shipments also would help US farmers cope with an oversupply that is depressing prices.

About 26 million birds, more than a quarter of South Korea's poultry stock, have been culled to control the outbreak, and most of the birds have been egg-laying hens.

The opportunity to profit by filling the resulting shortfall with US eggs has sent brokers and traders into overdrive.

Strains of bird flu, which can be spread by wild birds, have been detected across Asia and in Europe in recent weeks. Two people in China and one person in Hong Kong have died in the outbreaks.

The United States could reach agreement to resume trade with South Korea as early as next week, said Mark Perigen, national supervisor for shell eggs for a division of the US Department of Agriculture.

"Everybody's working hard to get it done," Mr Perigen said in an interview on Friday, adding that USDA employees had worked during holiday vacations on the issue.

"They're desperate for eggs over there, and the government realizes that," Mr Perigen said.

South Korea's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

Glenn Hickman, chief executive of Hickman's Eggs in Arizona, has received calls from brokers searching for US eggs to ship to South Korea.

"Everybody in Korea who needs eggs has Googled everybody in the world who might have eggs," Mr Hickman said.

"We're getting calls from brokers who have no idea even the right questions to ask us," he added.

"It's just somebody who knows how to freight stuff from the US to Korea."

With no agreement yet between the two countries, Mr Hickman is asking employees to take contact information for the potential customers.

United States Egg Marketers, a cooperative of farmers that was established to export eggs, has received "numerous inquiries about this already, including from people who have never exported anything in their lives," said Eka Inall, the group's president. "Our phone is blowing up, our email is blowing up," she said.

Last year, US food companies imported eggs from Europe after bird flu ravaged domestic chicken flocks and sent egg prices to record highs.

Since then, US prices have tumbled as farmers have ramped up production.

The United States produced 7.44 billion table eggs in November, up 11.5 per cent from a year earlier, and there were 312 million hens laying table eggs on Dec 1, up 8 per cent from a year before, according to USDA.

On Dec 26, the average price for a dozen large white US eggs was US$1.17, down from a high of US$2.88 in Aug 2015, according to market data firm Urner Barry.

"Current conditions in the US are definitely a motivating factor to get this thing done," Brian Moscogiuri, an Urner Barry analyst, said about US efforts to ship eggs to South Korea.

In South Korea, the average retail price for 30 eggs has risen nearly 25 per cent to 6,781 won (S$8.22) since the outbreak began on Nov 18. That is the highest price in more than three years, according to state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.

If South Korea begins importing US eggs, its residents may need to adjust to a different appearance of the food staple.

Jim Sumner, president of the US Poultry and Egg Export Council, said many Koreans prefer brown coloured eggs, while the United States mostly produces white eggs.

"As they say, beggars can't be choosers," he said.

REUTERS