This article talks about the egg and poultry shortage that was rampant in Korea in December 1943, two years into an all-out war against the US. Eggs were all supposed to be sold by farmers to the colonial government at officially set prices, funneled into a centralized distribution point, and then distributed to stores and hospitals. Hospitals and war veteran patients had priority, followed by anyone who had doctors’ certificates, who presumably included pregnant women and nursing mothers.

However, this rationing system apparently had problems, as farmers as well as retailers were incentivized to bypass official channels and sell eggs on the black market at higher prices, similarly to what happened in the Soviet command economy. 

Black market retailers charged 30 sen per egg (about $6 USD in 2022), and consumers could only buy two or three eggs at a time. Each morning edition of the Keijo Nippo of 1942 was priced at 6 sen. Today, each morning edition of Asahi Shimbun is priced at 160 yen. Using this conversion, 30 sen would be worth 800 yen today, which would be worth US $5.93 today.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) December 24, 1943

Tomorrow’s posture to win through to victory

A Focus on Eating Habits (6)

Meat and Eggs

Eggs are luxury items!

Regulation demanded to reserve eggs for the sick

The distribution of meat, which is a fatty food and a source of caloric supply for the fighting residents of Seoul, has been going well so far, providing 50 momme (187.5 grams) for a family of up to four, 100 momme (375 grams) for a family of up to nine, and 10 momme (37.5 grams) for each additional family member for a family of 10 or more, according to the rotational purchase coupons for meat for household use. However, unregulated poultry has disappeared from Seoul due to officially set prices as well as issues with feed.　When supplies do not appear in the market, we may immediately imagine chicken being siphoned off or sold on the black market, but in fact, there is absolutely no poultry arriving at the Gyeonggi Provincial Livestock Products Sales Association at the moment.

In addition to poultry shortages, there is also a shortage of eggs, which have been kept away from the kitchens of the people of Seoul. Milk and eggs, the most essential source of nutrition for the sick, are not available in Seoul at all, but unlike the situation with poultry, the quantity of eggs received has been gradually improving in 1942 and 1943 since the lowest quantity of eggs was reached in 1941, and the egg supply is showing a steady increase.

Believing that egg supplies are at their lowest level ever, many consumers have already given up on eggs, thinking that they are the most difficult product to obtain. As for the actual situation with egg shipments, most of the eggs laid by poultry farmers in the province are delivered smoothly to Seoul because feed, which is the lifeblood of poultry farmers, is distributed through Gyeonggi Province, and the poultry farmers are forced to provide eggs in exchange for the feed.

The quantity of eggs laid has been significantly reduced due to the decline in the quality and quantity of feed, and the quantity of eggs received this year has dropped to about 30% of the peak level in 1940, when eggs were the most abundant in Seoul. Although 30% sounds like a good figure, the number of eggs that flowed into Seoul without passing through the Gyeonggi Provincial Egg Association at that time was almost double the number of eggs that passed through the Gyeonggi Provincial Egg Association and flowed into Seoul, so the actual figure is about 10% of the peak level in 1940.

At present, all eggs entering Seoul are centrally collected at the Gyeonggi Provincial Livestock Products Sales Processing Station, and from there they are distributed to hospitals and small retailers, with about 30% of the incoming eggs given priority for distribution to hospitals, and the remainder given to the 65 small egg cooperative retailers and 65 small food retailers in Seoul. As for the method of sale:

The eggs are ordered to be preferentially distributed as hospital food to those who have doctors’ certificates. The average quantity of eggs received per day is approximately 100 kan (375 kg) per day, of which the quantity for general consumers is estimated to be over 60 kan (225 kg). If 7 eggs weigh an average of 100 momme (375 grams), that means that an average of 3,600 eggs come into the hands of small retailers.

In reality, however, there are no eggs whatsoever in the market. Although eggs are not distributed daily to the 130 egg distributors in Seoul due to a decrease in the number of eggs received, they are distributed wholesale once or twice a week, so to sum it up, eggs are definitely being allocated to the small retailers.

When we asked one retailer in Hanazono-chō (now Yegwan-dong), Seoul, about the actual situation of eggs being sold as a rationed food, he replied,

“We usually receive egg deliveries of about 3 to 5 kan (11.25 to 18.75 kg) once a week in general. When the eggs arrive at the store, we post a notice at the storefront saying that we will start selling eggs on what day and from what time, and those who bring a doctor’s certificate are given priority. We sell a maximum of two or three eggs per customer,” he disclosed. The current black market price for eggs is around 30 sen per egg, and it is said that consumers will never receive eggs except on the black market. The current situation is that eggs are actually not being sold at general grocery stores. We asked Mr. Satō, manager of the Gyeonggi Provincial Livestock Products Sales Association, about the actual situation of eggs being sold on the black market.

He replied, “The eggs that are now being sold on the black market seem to be brought in by farmers who keep chickens in the surrounding areas and do not receive feed from the Gyeonggi Provincial Agricultural Association. We have no choice but to wait for the authorities to take control of this situation, but depending on how the problem is handled in earnest, we may see a slight turnaround in the egg collection situation. I have heard that some small egg retailers are actually siphoning eggs, but I do not know for sure. In view of the current situation as we fight decisive battles, if the general public would refrain from consuming eggs, and reserve them mainly for the sick, then there would be enough eggs to go to families with sick people who really need them, but it is up to the retailers to be aware of the situation and the consumers to be self-aware.

Since the use of eggs as a general foodstuff is truly a luxury under the current circumstances, some kind of appropriate regulation is desirable for families that desperately need eggs as a special food for the sick.

The current dietary situation of the people of Seoul is far more plentiful than those of the rest of the world on the home front, but in order to make use of eggs as a much more active supply source for the war effort, the righteousness of the small retailers and the self-awareness of the consumers are strongly desired, and together with the urgent measures taken by the authorities, an advancing marching song can be played to provide direction for dietary habits going into the third year of the war. (End of this section) 

[Photo: Meat retailers showing a plentiful supply]

A beautiful, beautiful story

Mr. Kiyohiro Ōhara, a chair manufacturer in the 54th patriotic group, 6th Ward, Jugyo-dong, Jung-gu, won 1,000 yen in the October lottery from a 2-yen bullet stamp that he bought at a regular meeting. Since he received extra money in November, he donated four red and white curtains to the town council and 15 cushions for the regular meeting to the patriotic group, and again won 100 yen in the November lottery. Now that he will receive extra money this month, he is asking the town councilor for his wisdom on what to donate this time, which is an enviable beautiful story.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-12-24

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年12月24日

勝ち抜くあすの構え

食生活を衝く（６）

肉類・鶏卵

鶏卵は贅沢品だ

病人用食の統制を望む

脂肪性食品として戦う府民の熱量補給源たる肉類の末端配給は家庭用肉類輪番購入票により家族数四人迄は五十匁、九人迄は百匁、十人以上は一人増す毎に十匁を加えて順調な出回りを見せているが、此処で統制外の鶏肉は公定価格並びに飼料の関係から府内にさっぱりと姿を見せない。出回りが悪いと一般では直ちに闇や横流れを想像するが事実京畿道畜産物販売組合に入荷する鶏肉は現在の所皆無と云った状態である。

なお鶏肉に関連して府民のお台所を遠のいているものに鶏卵がある。牛乳その他の病人食として最も不可欠な栄養補給源である鶏卵も全然府内に入荷がないのであろうが、これは鶏肉に反して従前通り、否昭和十六年度の鶏卵の最も払底した時を基に十七年度、本年度と入荷数量は漸次好転し、順調な集荷状況を示している。

最も払底していると思われ既に一般消費者間には鶏卵の入手は最も困難なものとして時は諦めている向も多い。鶏卵の実際の入荷状況を見ると、先ず養鶏家に取って生命というべき飼料が京畿道を通じて配給されているため、それと引替に卵の供出が強要される所から道内養鶏家に産せられる大半の卵を順調に京城に入荷する。

数量的に見れば飼料の品質低下、品薄から産卵高は著しく減少されていて、最も順調で府内に卵の氾濫していた昭和十五年を基準として本年度の入荷数量は約三割に落ちている。三割という量は数字的に見れば良い方であるが、当時は京畿道鶏卵組合を経ずに横から府内に流れていた卵が約倍近くあり、実際的にはやはり当時の一割位ということになる。

所で現在京城府内に入る鶏卵は総て京畿道畜産物販売斡旋所に一元的に集卵され、此処から病院その他小売商に廻されているが、先ず入荷した卵はその三割程度を病院用として優先的に配給され、残りを府内六十五軒の鶏卵組合小売商と同じく六十五軒の食料品小売商の手に渡されていて、販売方法に就いては、

病院用食品として医師の診断書持参者には、これ又優先的に配給する様指示されている。大体現在の所、一日百貫平均の入荷状況であるが、この内一般消費者用として出回る数量約六十貫強と見て百匁七個平均では三千六百個の卵が一般小売商の手に入っている訳である。

所で現実の出回り状況は皆無といって良い状況である。府内百三十軒の鶏卵配給業者へは入荷数量の減少から毎日配給は行われていないが、一週間一回乃至二回の卸配給は行われているので、要約すれば鶏卵は小売商迄は確実に割り当てられているのである。

そこで末端配給として鶏卵の販売実状を小売組合商である府内花園町の一商店に訊ねると、

「一大体一週一回約三貫から五貫程度の配給を受けますが、入荷した際は店頭に何日何時から卵の販売を致しますと掲示を行い売っており、医者の証明書を持参された方には優先的に渡しています。一客二個三個を限度として販売しておりますが」、と中開きをした。卵の闇相場は現在一個三十銭前後で消費者には闇以外絶対に渡らないといわれている現状で、一般食料品店では卵の販売の実際は見当たらない現状である。ここで京畿道畜産物販売斡旋所佐藤主事に闇に横行する鶏卵の実状を訊ねる。

『現在闇に流れているという卵は京畿道農会から飼料の配給を受けていない近郊の鶏を飼っている農家から持ち込まれるように思います。之は当局の取締りを待つより外は有りませんが、本格の問題如何では今少し集荷の状況も好転するのではないでしょうか。鶏卵小売商では卵は情実流しをしているとの声もききますが、はっきりしたことは解りません。決戦下の時局に鑑み、卵は主として病人用として一般の方々が卵の消費を手控えてくれるなら、病人を抱えた本当に卵の必要な家庭へは応分に出回る位の出荷状況ですが、小売商の自覚と消費者の自省とに俟つよりは外ありません』

一般食料品として卵の使用はこの時局下正に贅沢品である以上切実に卵を求める家庭の病人特別食として何等かの適宜な統制が望まれる。

現在京城府民の食生活は全世界の戦う銃後にくらべてはるかに潤沢な出回りを見せているが、これをより一層活きた戦力の補給源として活用するには小売商の道義と消費者の自覚が強く望まれる所であり、当局の応急なる措置と相俟って、明朗なる決戦第三年への食生活の進撃譜が奏でられるのである（この項終り）【写真＝潤沢な出回りを見せる肉類販売店】

美しい美しい話

中区舟橋町第六区第五十四愛国班の椅子製造業大原清弘さんは常会で買った二円の弾丸切手が十月の抽籤で千円に当籤。十一月に割増金を貰ったので、紅白の幔幕四張を町会へ、常会用の座布団十五枚を愛国班へ寄付したところ、十一月の抽籤で又々百円に当籤。今月割増金を貰うことになったので、こんどは何処へ何を寄付しようかと町総代に智恵を借りているとは羨ましいような美しい話。