South Korean pork prices recover on AH1N1 outbreak

Pork prices have rebounded after falling last week in the wake of an outbreak of AH1N1 flu at South Korean pig farms.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MFAFF) reported the first cases of new flu-infected pigs in the country last week. The price of pork dropped around 5% the following day to KRW3,982 (US$3.39) per kilogramme.

Prices hit a low of KRW3,933 (US$3.31) before recovering to previous levels of around 4,200 won toward the end of the week.

"Demand for pork slows during the winter and there is a growing awareness among consumers that flu-infected pigs are not a threat to health," a ministry official said.

Last April, the price of a single pig at local farms plunged 25.3% over four business days amid the onset of the new flu strain, then known as swine influenza.