Josh Funk
OMAHA, Nevada (AP) – Egg prices have hit record highs as the US fights against an ongoing bird flu outbreak, but consumers need government figures released Wednesday It was bad.
The latest monthly consumer price index has been recorded in August 2023 with an average price of a dozen grade A eggs in US cities reaching $4.95 in January, with a previous record of $4.82 two years ago. It was shown to have surpassed more than twice the $2.04.
The surge in egg prices is the biggest since the country’s last invasion of avian flu in 2015, accounting for about two-thirds of total food costs increase last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Of course, that’s only the national average. Egg cartons can cost over $10 in some locations. Additionally, special varieties such as organic and cage-free eggs are even more expensive.
“We use eggs a little more often now. John Florey said when he looked into the options for egg cases at Ensical Market in Alameda, California. I was going to make a quiche that I liked to make and it was about six eggs so I thought I would do something else.”
When do you expect egg prices to fall?
Relief is not expected anytime soon. Egg prices usually skyrocket around Easter due to high demand on holidays. And last month, the USDA predicted that egg prices are likely to rise 20% this year.
Even if shoppers can afford eggs, they can sometimes be difficult to find them. Some grocery stores have struggled to keep shelves in stock, and customers are encountering additional fees and limits on the number of cartons they can buy at once.
Encinal Market owner Joe Trimble struggles to get all the eggs he ordered from his supplier, so in most cases the shelves are only about 25% full.
“That’s something you don’t think about until you look at the shelf, and it’s almost empty,” Trimble said. The eggs are “expected to be there just as you would expect to have milk. It’s important to have at the grocery store as you don’t go outside looking for something else on a Saturday morning. It’s an item. They want it. They want to eat scrambled eggs and excessive eggs on Saturday mornings.”
How bad is the outbreak of bird flu?
The main reason eggs are more expensive is the outbreak of avian flu. When the virus is discovered on the farm, the entire herd is killed to limit spreading the disease. Large egg farms can have millions of birds, which can cause dents in egg supply. Since the outbreak began, almost 158 million birds have been slaughtered overall.
The Agriculture Bureau says more than 23 million birds were slaughtered last month, and more than 18 million people died in December to limit the spread of the avian influenza virus. These numbers include turkeys and chickens raised for meat, but the majority of them were egg-selling chickens.
And when it occurs on farms, it often takes months to disinfect the barn until you are old enough to start laying eggs and raise new birds.
Avian flu cases surge in the spring and fall when wild birds are migrating because they are the main source of the virus, but cases can always pop up. The virus has spread to cattle and other species, causing dozens of people (mostly farm workers who care for sick animals) to become ill.
However, health officials say the threat to human health remains low and eggs and poultry can be safely eaten as diseased animals are not in their food supply. Additionally, meat and eggs are properly cooked to at least 165 degrees, Fahrenheit kills the virus, and pasteurization neutralizes the avian flu in milk.
What else can you promote egg prices?
Egg farmers have recently faced higher feed, fuel and labor costs due to inflation. Additionally, farmers are investing in more biosecurity measures to protect birds.
Ten states have passed laws that allow eggs to be sold only from cageless environments. These egg supply are tighter and focused on specific regions, allowing for increased price impacts when an outbreak hits a cage-free egg farm.
Many of the recent egg farms were cageless farms in California. Cageless eggs have already been enforced in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan.
In recent years, the total demand for eggs has also increased significantly. Consumers are buying more eggs, and the growth of breakfast restaurants all day has increased demand.
Cobank analyst Brian Earnest said the current egg costs could discourage some purchase, easing pressure on demand, but may not have a significant effect. It will take months for egg producers to fill the supply gap.
“As consumers continue to stock up on eggs, supply at the store level becomes tighter and Easter is around the corner, so that could extend tighter supplies,” Ernest said. .
Prices continue to rise, but baked goods and other grocery producers will need to decide whether to raise prices or lower production for other foods that rely on eggs as the main ingredient. He said.
Associated Press Reporter Terry Chia helped the report from Alameda, California.
Original issue: February 12, 2025, 2:06pm EST
