Chicken displayed at a hypermarket in Seoul on the 18th of last month [사진=연합뉴스]
The association strongly protested against the Fair Trade Commission’s decision to set the price and quantity of chicken illegally and imposed a fine on the Korea Native Chicken Association. They expressed their intention to take legal action, saying that the Fair Trade Commission action was unfair.
The Korea Indigenous Chicken Association issued a statement on the 12th after the Fair Trade Commission decided to dispose of the fine and said, “The act that the Fair Trade Commission designated as a violation of the Fair Trade Act was the minimum measure that must be taken for the industry.” We are sorry for imposing a fine on the association and related companies that will represent small native chicken farmers in a situation where there are many pending issues, such as an increase in production costs due to the increase.”
The association further emphasized, “If even some of the businesses subject to sanctions decide to appeal, we will do our best to help.”
On the same day, the Fair Trade Commission ruled that the local chicken association’s decision to reduce chicken breeders and eggs (eggs laid by breeders) on several occasions, frozen fresh meat of native chickens, and limiting the number of chicken breeders sold were illegal. A total fine of 1.4 million won was imposed.
In addition, corrective orders were issued to nine companies that rigged the sale price and shipment volume of fresh local chicken, and a total of 595 million won in fines was imposed on six companies with a large scale of unfair profit.
The Native Chicken Association countered that most of the acts that the Fair Trade Commission identified as illegal were based on the Livestock Proprietary Fund Act, and some of them had been discussed with the government in advance or were not true.
In particular, the association protested that the Fair Trade Commission imposed a penalty surcharge even for a project that was carried out after receiving an official letter of review and approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. They said, “There are not two governments in the country, and it is something that the Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food have to solve, but the related industries are suffering the damage. It’s just frustrating how to deal with this.”
He also demanded that the Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs prepare legal procedures for supply and demand stabilization projects so that the same problem does not recur in the industry.
- reporter information
- Lee Na-kyung
- nakk@ajunews.com
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