The South Korean government is increasing the release of aquatic product reserves. To address the increased demand for aquatic products before the Mid-Autumn Festival and relieve price pressure, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea will release 20,000 tons of government reserve aquatic products in the national market from August 24th to   September 27th. This is the largest scale in history, and the highest price of related products can be 40% lower than the market price.

  This release involves six varieties: pollock, mackerel, squid, hairtail, yellow croaker and dried anchovy. Among them, pollock reached 15,700 tons, being the absolute main force, accounting for 78.5% of the total

  The release of pollock accounts for nearly 80% of the total reserve aquatic products, which is much higher than that of other species. Squid and mackerel were released in 1,700 tons and 1,500 tons respectively, and they were the second and third most popular varieties. This time, the South Korean government is not merely releasing raw materials; it has also added products that are convenient for consumers to purchase and process, including mackerel fillets, pollock slices, and whole dried pollock.

  This policy still focuses on popular aquatic products that are consumed in large quantities by South Korean residents during festivals. By concentrating on increasing market supply, it aims to lower terminal prices, with the maximum price being 40% lower than the market price

  The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea stated that the reserve aquatic products will be sold through major traditional markets, large supermarkets, and online and offline wholesale markets across the country. The purchase price for consumers can be up to 40% lower than the market price.

  The South Korean government's current campaign will last for more than a month, from August 24th to September 27th, covering the main consumption window before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

  The overall Mid-Autumn Festival price stability measures announced by the South Korean government on September 1st show that in addition to aquatic products, a large amount of major food items such as vegetables, fruits, beef, pork and chicken will also be released. The aquatic products section amounts to 20,000 tons and is an important part of the entire festival supply guarantee plan.

  This means that the South Korean government is not temporarily intervening in the price of a specific aquatic product, but is releasing reserve aquatic products as part of the overall measures to stabilize food prices during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

  There is another change in this release: government reserve products no longer all enter the market in the traditional whole fish form, but have added processed products.

  The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea specifically proposed products such as mackerel fillets, pollock slices, and whole polishes. For consumers, this type of product reduces processing steps such as bone removal and cutting, making it more suitable for sale in supermarkets and retail channels.

  If government reserve aquatic products directly enter the wholesale market in the form of raw materials, the main impacts will be on the supply of raw materials and wholesale prices. After undergoing initial processing such as segmentation and debonding, if it enters the retail end, it will directly compete with commercial processed products.

  Especially pollock, the release this time reached 15,700 tons, accounting for 78.5% of the total. After a large amount of reserve supplies enter the market in a concentrated manner, the pressure on the wholesale and retail prices of pollock in South Korea will be significantly higher than that of other varieties.

  The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea directly defined this operation as "the largest scale in history". Official policy documents show that 20,000 tons of reserve aquatic products will be released to the market in a concentrated manner to increase the supply of major aquatic products before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

  In terms of quantity, South Korea plans to release an average of about 590 tons of aquatic products every day. However, actual supply does not mean that the same quantity is fixed every day. The specific pace of entering traditional markets, supermarkets and wholesale markets will still be arranged according to market demand and price changes.

  South Korea's Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Hwang Jong-woo, said that the government will closely monitor the supply and demand as well as price changes of major aquatic products and take corresponding measures to stabilize supply and prices.

  For the South Korean aquatic product market, the concentrated release of 15,700 tons of pollock is the most notable variable in this policy. Although the release of varieties such as squid, mackerel and hairtail is significantly lower than that of pollock, they will still have an impact on the short-term supply in South Korea during the concentrated consumption demand of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

  At present, this batch of reserve aquatic products has begun to enter the South Korean market and the release will continue until September 27th.