Last Year Pet Food Exports Reach $160 Million... Government "Actively Supporting Overseas Expansion"

Vice Minister Park Beom-su of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Visits Pet Food Industry Site
Listens to On-site Challenges and Discusses Measures to Promote Exports

The government has decided to actively support the expansion of exports of K-Pet Food, which recorded export performance of $160 million last year, by strengthening the institutional foundation such as revising labeling standards for pet food and providing support for obtaining overseas certifications and marketing.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that Vice Minister Park Beom-su visited the Wooriwa Pet Food production plant located in Eumseong, Chungbuk on the 14th to introduce the government's policy direction for expanding pet food exports and fostering pet-related industries, and to listen to opinions from the field.

At the meeting, a representative from Wooriwa stated, "As the number of households raising pets rapidly increases and consumer demand for premium products grows, the domestic and international pet food markets have been rapidly expanding recently. In particular, interest and demand for Korean pet food products are steadily increasing in Japan and Southeast Asia." Industry representatives also conveyed difficulties faced by companies due to lack of information on certification procedures during the export process and marketing burdens.

In response, Vice Minister Park said, "Last year, pet food exports recorded $160 million, establishing it as a promising export industry. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will strengthen the institutional foundation such as revising labeling standards for pet food, and actively support companies to enter overseas markets more actively through assistance in obtaining overseas certifications, customized consulting, and overseas marketing support."