Egg Shortages

[Anchor Lead]

The avian influenza epidemic in Korea has caused severe shortages of eggs. Prices have soared, while supermarket chains have imposed restrictions on number of eggs that can be purchased by consumers per day. Here’s more.

[Pkg]

Eggs have been flying off the shelves at this supermarket since the outbreak of avian influenza.

[Soundbite] Lee Seung-hwan(Staff at Supermarket Chain) : "All but four of some 80 trays were sold in just 30 minutes."

Each consumer is now allowed to buy only one tray of eggs a day. It's because demand has exceeded supply. Nearly half of some ten farms that supply eggs to this supermarket chain have borne the brunt of the massive bird flu epidemic. Supermarkets have also raised egg prices. A tray of 30 eggs, which used to cost around six dollars and 20 cents, now costs almost 7 dollars.

[Soundbite] Baek Mun-sun(Seoul Resident) : "It's okay to not eat meat, but eggs are indispensable.I'm forced to buy them despite the high price."

This restaurant in Seoul specializing in rolled rice called "gimbap" uses eggs in 34 of its 48 dishes. It uses ten trays of eggs in just two days, but it now has only 19 trays left. Concerns are rising that restaurants and bakeries that use eggs may have to raise the prices of their products. Meanwhile, the large bakery group SPC has come under fire for having its employees horde hundreds of trays of eggs from retail stores.