South Korea has culled over a million pigs and cows to stop foot and mouth

10:20AM GMT 07 Jan 2011

South Korea said on Friday it had culled over one million animals, mainly pigs and cattle, to contain foot-and-mouth outbreaks that are threatening to keep pushing up prices of beef and pork in Asia's No. 4 economy.

A net importer of beef, pork and chicken, South Korea is also fighting against rising cases of bird flu.

Hundreds of thousands of authorities have been working day and night to slaughter the animals, and vaccinating more than 1.2 million animals, mostly cattle, the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

The outbreaks since last November have led prices of beef and pork to climb in South Korea and might lead to more imports of beef from the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

"Beef supply is getting instable as slaughter places are shut down and transferring animals are blocked due to foot-and-mouth disease," a separate statement from the ministry said.

"Beef prices are expected to continue rising through a high-demand season of Chinese New Year holidays," it added, referring to the country's biggest holidays from Feb. 2 to 6.