South Korea will import by plane more than one-point-six million eggs from the United States for the first time to stave off skyrocketing egg prices amid the bird flu outbreak.
 
The Agriculture Ministry said Monday that it has completed setting up quarantine and hygiene procedures to immediately import fresh eggs from the United Sates and Spain.
 
According to the ministry, some 33 facilities in the U.S. have registered to export fresh and processed eggs. Facilities that receive approval from South Korea's Food and Drug Safety Ministry will be able to export eggs to Korea.
 
A South Korean retailer has already signed an agreement to import eggs from the U.S. and is expected to fly in one-point-64 million eggs as soon as this week.
 
Vice Agriculture Minister Lee Jun-won said the eggs are expected to arrive this weekend. He said the quarantine process will take a few days, but that they will be available for sale before the Lunar New Year holidays.
 
Egg prices in South Korea have hit a 20-year high as authorities have culled more than 30 million poultry since mid-November to contain avian influenza.