The government will resume imports of chicken from Brazil starting next Sunday as part of efforts to stabilize chicken prices.

The government set the date during a meeting of related vice ministers on Thursday after deciding earlier on May 23 to allow imports of chicken from regions in Brazil which have yet to report cases of the avian influenza(AI) virus. 

Previously, the government had fully banned the imports of chicken from Brazil after the South American country saw cases of highly-pathogenic AI. 

However, it decided to resume such imports from AI-free regions amid rising concerns over supply and demand and had issued an advance notice of revisions to sanitary conditions for the import of chicken from Brazil.

Acting finance minister and first vice finance minister Lee Hyoung-il, who chaired Thursday’s meeting, said stabilizing consumer prices is the top priority in terms of people’s livelihood, adding that the ministry will soon announce comprehensive measures on stabilizing prices.