# South Korea's 2025-26 HPAI season cut layer flock by 13.6%
						 | The Poultry Site

> The Poultry Site reports that South Korea's 2025-26 HPAI season led to depopulation of about 11.3 million layers, 13.6% of the layer inventory, and about 400,000 broiler breeders. Korea imported 17 million hatching eggs from Europe to offset losses, and total chicken inventory rose 1.2% to 201 million in June 2026.

- Date: 2026-10-06 · published 2026-10-06T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region Global · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/17125-south-korea-s-2025-26-hpai-season-cut-layer-flock-by-13-6-the-poultry-site
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md)

## Why it matters

Korean layer losses and reliance on imports tighten local egg and chicken supply, which can lift Korean demand for imported feed and support regional feed-ingredient purchases.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: neutral
- CORN: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2021-11-15 | [Japan, South Korea report avian flu in poultry flocks \| WATTPoultry.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44062-japan-south-korea-report-avian-flu-in-poultry-flocks-wattpoultry-com.md) | -2.1% | +1.5% |
| CORN | 2026-01-06 | [How HPAI bird losses in 2025 varied by state \| WATTPoultry.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21041-how-hpai-bird-losses-in-2025-varied-by-state-wattpoultry-com.md) | -3.2% | -2.5% |
| CORN | 2026-10-22 | [The Birds Come Back: Korea's Avian Flu Season and the Price of an Egg \| The Ag Digest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17127-the-birds-come-back-korea-s-avian-flu-season-and-the-price-of-an-egg-the-ag.md) | -1.2% | — |
| CORN | 2017-03-10 | [Chicken Prices Rreach Record High Levels Due to Bird Flu Outbreak
						 \| The Poultry Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/72132-chicken-prices-rreach-record-high-levels-due-to-bird-flu-outbreak-the-poultry.md) | +1.9% | +0.8% |
| CORN | 2022-04-15 | [Weekly global protein digest: France, US severe HPAI outbreaks tighten egg supplies
						 \| The Poultry Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41852-weekly-global-protein-digest-france-us-severe-hpai-outbreaks-tighten-egg.md) | +2.1% | -0.0% |
| SBM | 2026-10-22 | [The Birds Come Back: Korea's Avian Flu Season and the Price of an Egg \| The Ag Digest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17127-the-birds-come-back-korea-s-avian-flu-season-and-the-price-of-an-egg-the-ag.md) | -2.7% | — |
| SBM | 2022-04-04 | [HPAI spread triggers price increases for eggs \| MEAT+POULTRY](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41850-hpai-spread-triggers-price-increases-for-eggs-meat-poultry.md) | +2.8% | -3.1% |
| SBM | 2025-06-01 | [Thai poultry industry poised for growth on Brazil bird flu, lower feed costs](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24369-thai-poultry-industry-poised-for-growth-on-brazil-bird-flu-lower-feed-costs.md) | -0.1% | -8.0% |

## Sources

- thepoultrysite.com: https://www.thepoultrysite.com/news/2026/10/south-koreas-2025-26-hpai-season-cut-layer-flock-by-13-6

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.