November 29, 2004

South Korea Set to Import Chicken, Duck Meat from North Korea in 2005

North Korean chicken and duck meat will soon be seen in South Korean markets starting early next year, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

A local import company had reportedly requested for a commercial license to import 100 tons of those products. Food processing companies will first receive the meat supply before it is made available to stores that sell poultry.

The Unification Ministry, which oversees trade between the Koreas, is also likely to approve the license around the middle of December, clearing the way for the chicken and duck imports to commence in January.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service had conducted on-site inspections at the farms where the chicken and ducks are raised. Inspectors reported that the facilities were modern and isolated, thereby reducing the risk of outside infection. In addition, overall sanitation conditions were reported to be good.

North Korean chicken and duck farmers do not use antibiotics and tend to raise fowl in a natural environment. This factor is expected to appeal to the growing number of health-conscious consumers.

However, the quantity of the imports may make it difficult for all South Korean stores dealing in poultry to receive them. Chicken production in the North is probably no larger than 2,000 tons every year

South Korea's chicken market stood at 373,000 tons, with 88,000 tons being imported.

Moreover, once the North Korean farms set up facilities for butchering and packaging, the products will fetch a better price and become more readily accessible to South Korean consumers, the ministry said.