Bird flu egg shortage crisis hits Korea's bakeries
Korea’s bakeries are experiencing an egg shortage crisis after the nation killed over 24 million egg-laying birds in a month, including chickens and ducks, because of bird flu. It is the fastest culling rate since the nation’s first avian influenza outbreak in 2014. / Korea Times file
By Ko Dong-hwan
With Christmas and the year-end holiday season just around the corner, Korean bakery shops are facing a critical egg shortage because of the country’s worst bird flu epidemic.
Franchise stores are more fortunate than mom-and-pop stores that have borne the brunt of the government’s cull of over 24 million egg-laying birds in about a month ― a record since the nation’s first avian influenza outbreak in 2014.
A desperate mom-and-pop bakery owner in Seoul on Wednesday contacted a food ingredient distributor surnamed Jung in the city of Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province ― about 100 kilometers south of Seoul ― in search of eggs. He even offered to pay the freight charge of 100,000 won ($83), which was more than the eggs cost. But Jung said he could not find eggs for him.
Normally, Jung receives about 150 cases a day, each containing 30 eggs. The number of cases was reduced to 20-30 recently in the aftermath of the massive culling that started mid-November.
“I contacted about 10 farms and other distributors but I could not find a single case,” Jung told Hankook Ilbo.
A food mart in the city of Daejeon has reduced the number of cases of eggs for sale from 300 to 200 a day. The store started displaying a sign that reads: “Because of the nationwide egg shortage, we limit each customer’s purchase of eggs to one case.” / Korea Times file
Another bakery owner from Cheongdam-dong in Seoul said he used to receive 50 cases of eggs daily but now can only get five to 10. And the price for each case went from 4,000 won to 8,000 won.
“Each case suffices to make five to six cakes and, for the upcoming season, I need at least 200 cakes,” the owner said. “But with the shortage in eggs, I am now sending away customers.”
Franchise bakeries are better off because their headquarters have a guaranteed supply until year end. But the owner of a Paris Baguette store, the nation’s largest local bakery, operated by SPC Group, said there were doubts over deliveries next month.
On Dec. 21, the company’s employees were caught on a security camera in the firm’s underground parking lots in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, stacking eggs the workers allegedly bought. News outlets said the company may have ordered them to buy the eggs in fear of the crisis.
Egg-strapped local food marts recently began limiting consumers to one case of eggs.