Seoul: South Korea will resume imports of poultry and related products from regions in Brazil unaffected by a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the agriculture ministry announced Tuesday, in response to potential supply shortages.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the decision follows growing concerns over possible domestic supply shortages after the suspension of imports from Brazil, which supplies more than 80 percent of South Korea’s chicken imports. The ministry confirmed that terms for poultry imports have been agreed upon with Brazilian authorities.

In mid-May, Seoul imposed a ban on poultry imports from Brazil following the country’s notification to the World Organization for Animal Health about an HPAI outbreak at a breeder farm in Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil, the world’s largest chicken exporter, had been a major supplier to South Korea, providing 158,000 tons last year, which constituted 86 percent of South Korea’s total chicken imports.

The Brazilian chicken imports also represented approximately 20 percent of South Korea’s domestic demand, which totaled 791,000 tons. The resumption of imports from unaffected Brazilian regions aims to stabilize the supply in the South Korean market.