Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press Business Writer
US retail egg prices fell in April from a record price that hit earlier this year, according to government data released Tuesday.
According to the consumer price index, the average price of Grade A eggs fell to $5.12 last month after reaching a record $6.23 in March. It was the first month to month fall in egg prices since October 2024.
Overall, the average price for eggs of all sizes fell 12.7%, a sharp monthly decline since March 1984.
While wholesale egg prices have been falling for a while, it was unclear how much store prices would fall in April, as consumer demand is usually high around Easter and Passover.
Still, retail egg prices remain near historic highs as a sustained outbreak of bird flu wipes out flocks of chickens soaking in the eggs. The average price for a dozen big eggs in April was 79% higher than the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in the same month a year ago.
Avian flu has killed more than 169 million birds since early 2022. When a bird gets sick, the entire flock is killed and the bird’s flu is not spread. When a flock is slaughtered, it can take up to a year to clean the farm and raise new birds to spawn age.
Large egg farms can have millions of birds, which can affect egg supply. Last month, outbreaks on two farms in Ohio and South Dakota affected over 927,000 egg-selling chickens.
Lowering the prices of eggs was a particularly focus of President Donald Trump. In February, the USDA said it would invest $1 billion to help farmers improve biosecurity measures to combat avian flu.
The US is also increasing egg imports from South Korea, Türkiye, Brazil and other countries. According to Kevin Bergquist, sector manager at Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, imports of eggs and egg products increased 77.5% in the first three months of the year compared to the same period a year ago.
The US Department of Justice’s antitrust division is also investigating Cal-Maine Foods, the largest egg producer in the United States, supplying about 20% of American eggs. Cal-Maine confirmed its investigation in early April.
Ridgeland, Mississippi, Cal-Maine said its net profit more than tripled in the last quarter, closing March 1.
Original issue: May 13, 2025 9:23am EDT
