Up to 30 million hens are reported to have been culled in South Korea as it grapples with the avian influenza outbreak, leaving the country short of about 15 million dozen eggs per week.

The Australian Government and the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources have finalised a new export agreement with South Korea, allowing Australian eggs to be sold in that country. The South Korean Government has also recently announced it was removing import tariffs on eggs until at least June 30 2017. The agreement’s implementation takes immediate effect.

As a result, up to $20 million worth of Australian eggs could be exported to South Korea this year.

Australian Egg Corporation Limited Managing Director, Rowan McMonnies said: "This is a huge opportunity for Australian egg farmers who are set to provide some of the 180 million eggs South Korea needs each week as a result of their avian influenza crisis.

"We are happy to be helping South Korean consumers and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate Australian egg farmers’ ability to step up and play a leading role in the long term food security of the Asia Pacific region," he said.

Eggs are an important part of the South Korean diet and are a core ingredient in its national dish Bibimbap. South Koreans consume slightly more eggs per capita than Australians at 250 eggs per person in 2014 compared to Australia’s 227.