SEOUL– South Korea’s agricultural ministry said Friday the country is maintaining a stable supply of major meat and vegetable products without a major hike in their prices ahead of the Chuseok holiday slated for later this month.
The combined number of pigs slaughtered in August came to 1.41 million, up 5.2 percent from 1.34 million posted a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The supply of cattle came to 88,000 units last month, rising sharply from just 70,000 units posted in the previous year.
The ministry said given growing demand, it will focus on maintaining stable supply of key meat products ahead of Chuseok, the autumn harvest celebration, which will run from Sept. 18 to 22.
The ministry also said it is maintaining a stable supply of vegetables, pointing out that their market prices remain steady compared to the previous year.
The average market price of napa cabbage, which is mostly used to make kimchi, came to 5,088 won (US$4.35) per unit as of Friday, down 49 percent from a year earlier, the ministry data showed.
The country added it will continue to monitor the market prices of vegetables, as the prolonged rain over the autumn may lead to a drop in output.
Source: Yonhap News Agency