Due to a persistent avian flu outbreak and the increased demand during the holiday baking season, egg prices are increasing once more.
However, prices have yet to return to their most recent peak, which was over two years ago. Additionally, grocery store egg shortages have so far been isolated and transient, according to the American Egg Board, a trade association.
According to Emily Metz, president and CEO of the Egg Board, they are being quickly fixed, sometimes in a single day.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in October, the average cost of a dozen eggs in American cities was $3.37. That was a little lower than in September and far lower than in January 2023, when the average price shot up to $4.82. However, compared to October 2023, when a dozen eggs cost an average of $2.07, it was up 63%.
Price increases can occasionally be attributed to supermarkets. Kroger’s senior director for pricing stated that the firm has increased the price of milk and eggs above inflationary levels during evidence in August in the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to stop the company’s merger with Albertsons.
However, the price rises are due to other considerations. According to Metz, for instance, the demand for eggs is at its peak in November and December.
“Without eggs, you can’t have your stuffing, pumpkin pie, or holiday baking,” she remarked.
Another significant factor contributing to the price increases is avian influenza. Over 111 million birds, primarily egg-laying chickens, have been killed as a result of the current bird flu outbreak, which started in February 2022. To stop the disease from spreading, every bird on a farm is slaughtered whenever the virus is discovered.
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This month alone, avian flu has resulted in the murder of over 6 million birds. They made up a comparatively modest portion of the 377 million chickens that lay eggs in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the flock has decreased by roughly 3% in the last year, which has resulted in a 4% decrease in egg output.
Due to California being one of the states most affected by the most recent round of avian flu, supply of cage-free eggs are being rushed. Eggs sold in California, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon must not be in cages.
Because those jurisdictions only permit the sale of cage-free eggs, we’re having to transfer eggs from other parts of the nation that produce cage-free eggs to make up for the limited supply in those states, Metz said.
Next year, Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan will implement cage-free laws; in 2030, Rhode Island and Utah will follow suit.
Avian flu, which is transmitted by the droppings of wild birds as they pass farms, may also be exacerbated by the demand for these premium eggs. According to Chad Hart, an agricultural economist and lecturer at Iowa State University, letting hens move around more freely puts them in danger.
According to Hart, it is extremely difficult to regulate the interaction between wild and domesticated birds. Because we’re asking the egg industry to create in ways we didn’t previously ask them to, some of those vectors have been made available.
According to Metz, some wild birds are also getting lost due to climate change and bad weather.
According to her, there are birds that have been moved by wildfires and storms, and as a result, they are now circulating in places they might not have previously been or during periods of the year they might not have otherwise. Additionally, our farmers are dealing with all of those new factors.
Since farmers must hold back some eggs to hatch into young chicks, Hart said the egg industry’s efforts to rebuild the flock may also result in a shortage of supply.
This is not all bad news for chicken farms in the United States, though. After rising between 2020 and 2022, the price of chicken feed, which accounts for 70% of a farmer’s expenses, has drastically decreased, according to Hart.
— Mark Vancleave, Josh Funk, and Dee-ann Durbin, Associated Press
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