Foot-and-mouth disease bumps milk ads

By Kang Seung-woo

Domestic milk producers have recently stopped advertising on television and radio. They have failed to meet higher demands for their product, affected by the devastating foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease, according to the dairy industry Tuesday.

With about 5 percent of the total cows in the country falling prey to the animal epidemic, the production output of companies has shrunk by 5 to 20 percent, and the industry estimates that they are likely to face a bigger shortage in March, when school starts and demand for milk grows fast. They expect that a supply shortage will spike in May if FMD continues to spread nationwide.

Seoul Milk, the nation’s largest dairy producer, aired an advertisement featuring Korean international footballer Cha Du-ri until the end of last month. But it has not produced another since his contract expired.

“We plan to consider resuming advertisements after we see how the situation develops,” said an official of the firm.

Maeil Dairies, which saw its sales skyrocket after casting figure skating star Kim Yu-na in its advertisement, has not released another ad although the two sides recently renewed their contract.

“We have re-signed Kim, but have yet to decide when to release a new advertisement,” a company official said.

Namyang Dairy Products also stopped its commercial in November after the initial FMD outbreak.

In the wake of their failure to meet demands for milk, local manufacturers are mulling other options to cope with the shortage.

They plan to postpone releasing new products as late as possible and cut their supplies to coffeehouses and bakeries.

Amid the spread of FMD, there are growing concerns of possible price increases. But the industry says that it is not a matter currently under consideration.

“We are not considering raising prices,” a Maeil Dairies official noted. “It is not an issue which producers can approach unilaterally. We will try to keep milk prices for students at bay even though it is taking a long time to contain the FMD virus.”

Since the first FMD outbreak was confirmed on Nov. 29, South Korea has destroyed more than 3.16 million cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and deer, with losses being estimated at more than 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion).

구제역이 우유광고 어렵게 해

우유업체들이 TV와 라디오에서 광고를 중단하고 있다.

구제역으로 살처분 된 젖소 두수가 늘면서 원유공급량이 급감하자 우유업체들이 수요에 공급을 맞추지 못해 광고를 중단한 것이다.

8일 우유업계에 따르면 서울우유를 비롯해 남양유업, 매일유업 등 우유업체들은 구제역이 계속 확산할 경우 초등학교 봄 방학이 끝나는 3월 초 우유 공급부족이 심각한 수준에 이를 것으로 전망하고 있다.

게다가 지금처럼 구제역 확산이 계속될 경우 원유공급량은 갈수록 감소해 우유 성수기인 5월에는 매우 심각한 상황에 이를 것으로 우유업계는 전망하고 있다.