Pork Prices Set to Further Rise

South Korea’s pork consumption has been on the rise, in keeping with changing eating habits and an increase in people’s meat intake. (image: Yonhap)

SEOUL, Apr. 28 (Korea Bizwire) - Prices of pork meat in South Korea shot up nearly 17 percent this month due to strong demand in line with increased outdoor activities such as camping, and may further rise down the road, data showed Sunday.

According to the data by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., the retail price of pork meat came to 4,571 won (US$3.94) per kilogram on average this month, up from the average price of 3,906 won per kilogram the previous month.

The April tally also marks a 36-percent jump from February’s 3,368 won, the data showed.

Prices of pork belly meat, the most favored pork meat by Koreans, rose 10 percent to average 18,546 won.

The corporation attributed the price surge to seasonal reasons as more people were involved in outdoor activities.

Grilled pork belly is one of ordinary Koreans’ favorite foods and is often eaten alongside soju, the most popular Korean liquor. South Korea’s pork consumption has been on the rise, in keeping with changing eating habits and an increase in people’s meat intake.

Market watchers said that pork prices may continue to increase due in part to a shortage of imported pork meat amid widespread African swine fever in China, which may disrupt the global pork meat supply.

Imported pork accounts for roughly a third of the country’s consumption of the meat.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned earlier that outbreaks of the disease in China may spread to other parts of Asia.

African swine fever is not harmful to humans.

(Yonhap)