The number of beef cattle raised in South Korea hit a record high in the second quarter on growing beef demand, statistical office data showed Thursday.
The number of beef cattle came in at 3,674,000 in the second quarter of this year, up 3.0 per cent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
It marked the highest level since relevant data began to be compiled in 1983.
It was attributed to an increased beef consumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has encouraged people to cook at home.
The number of milk cows raised in the Asian country declined by 2.6 per cent to 389,000 in the cited quarter on lower milk demand.
The figure for layer chickens increased by 10.9 per cent to more than 73 million in the second quarter due to a low base effect as a result of the bird flu outbreak.
About 30 million poultry were culled last year following the avian influenza outbreak between November 2020 and April 2021.
The number of ducks raised in South Korea jumped 29.7 per cent to 9,764,000, while the reading for pigs added 0.1 per cent to 11,166,000 in the second quarter.
While the principal use of beef cattle is meat production, other uses include leather, and beef by-products used in candy, shampoo, cosmetics, and insulin.
