Outbreaks of bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) caused exports of poultry and fresh pork to drop sharply last year, government data showed Wednesday.

Cases of bird flu were reported early last year with the first FMD outbreaks being detected later on. The government even implemented "standstill measures" restricting the movement of animals and farmers earlier in the month to try to contain the spread.

According to data by Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation and the farm ministry, exports of fresh duck meat nosedived 88.7 percent to 751.8 tons, with almost no processed duck meat being shipped abroad.

For chicken, exports stood at 17,445.6 tons, down 28.2 percent on-year, with processed products dipping 4.7 percent. Combined overseas shipment of chicken meat was down 26.2 percent, compared to 2013.

Official figures also showed export of fresh pork plunging 35.6 percent on-year, but the drop was offset by the 74.6 percent surge in processed products such as bacon and luncheon meats.

Overall, pork exports including both fresh meat and processed products actually edged up 0.23 percent in 2014 from the previous year.

At present, Hong Kong is the main market for local pork, as the special administrative region only buys meat from animals raised in areas such as Jeju Island that has not affected by the animal disease.

The farm ministry, however, said that with sporadic outbreaks of bird flu and FMD being reported across the country in the new year, exports of meat may experience further setbacks.

"Unless the outbreaks come under control soon, past efforts to export meats to Russia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Taiwan may come to naught that could hurt local farms," an official said. (Yonhap)