Major livestock numbers in South Korea fell in the first quarter of 2026, with broiler chickens the only category to increase, according to a government survey released Thursday.
The National Data Center said its “2026 first-quarter livestock trends survey” showed that as of March 1, the combined number of Korean native cattle and beef cattle totaled 3,218,000, down 4.9% from a year earlier. With fewer breeding cows, the number of animals under 1 year old fell 6.9%, those aged 1 to 2 years fell 3.2%, and those 2 years and older fell 4.7%.
Dairy cattle totaled 371,000, down 1.7%. With fewer breeding dairy cows, animals under 1 year old fell 5.4% and those 2 years and older fell 1.8%.
The pig herd stood at 10,716,000, down 0.7%. Pigs aged 2 to under 4 months fell 3.0%, while some other age groups were little changed, resulting in a mild overall decline.
Laying hens totaled 77,747,000, down 0.3%. The agency cited culling tied to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, with birds 6 months and older down 5.5%.
Duck numbers dropped 15.9% to 5,294,000, as fewer meat ducklings were placed, sharply reducing overall production.
By contrast, broiler chickens rose 2.7% to 96,463,000 as chick placements increased. Broilers were up 3.0%, and samgye chickens rose 3.4%, the survey said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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