Egg prices hit a four-year high in May, and the upward trend is expected to continue at least until August.

According to a June report by the Korea Rural Economic Institute released on Sunday, farmgate prices for ten large eggs are projected to increase by 12-point-four percent to 18-point-five percent, ranging from one-thousand-850 won to one-thousand-950 won over the next three months.

This marks a rise of nine-point-nine percent to 15-point-eight percent compared to the average prices recorded over the three-year period from 2020 to 2024.

The surge is attributed to declining productivity among aging laying hens, exacerbated by outbreaks of diseases such as low pathogenic avian influenza, infectious bronchitis and fowl typhoid.

Farmgate prices have seen steady increases in recent months, rising by ten-point-two percent in April and 12-point-two percent in May.

As a result, consumer prices have also climbed, with the average price for a pack of 30 large eggs reaching seven-thousand-26 won in May, surpassing the seven-thousand won threshold for the first time in four years.