OMAHA, Neb. — Egg prices hit a record high as the U.S. contends with an ongoing bird flu outbreak. The latest monthly consumer price index showed that an average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January.
This surpassed the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than doubled the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023.
The spike in egg prices was the biggest since the nation’s last bird flu outbreak in 2015 and accounted for roughly two-thirds of the total increase in food costs last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Of course, that is only the nationwide average. A carton of eggs can cost $10 or more in some places. Specialized varieties, such as organic and cage-free eggs, are even more expensive.
Relief is not expected any time soon. Egg prices typically spike around Easter due to high holiday demand. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted last month that egg prices were likely to go up 20% this year.
Even if shoppers can afford eggs, they may sometimes have difficulty finding them. Some grocers are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked, and customers are encountering surcharges and limits on how many cartons they can buy at a time.
The main reason that eggs are more expensive is the bird flu outbreak. When the virus is found on a farm, the entire flock is killed to limit the spread of the disease. Because massive egg farms may have millions of birds, just one outbreak may put a dent in the egg supply. Nearly 158 million birds have been slaughtered overall since the outbreak began.
When there is an outbreak on a farm, it often takes several months to dispose of the carcasses, sanitize the barns and raise new birds until they are old enough to start producing eggs, so the effects linger.
Egg farmers also face higher feed, fuel and labor costs these days because of inflation. Plus, farmers are investing more in biosecurity measures to try to protect their birds.
Ten states have passed laws allowing the sale of eggs only from cage-free environments. The supply of those eggs is tighter and focused in certain regions, so the effect on prices can be magnified when outbreaks hit cage-free egg farms.
Many of the egg farms with recent outbreaks were cage-free farms in California. Cage-free egg laws have already gone into effect in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan.
The total demand for eggs has also gone up significantly in recent years. Consumers are buying more eggs, and the growth of all-day breakfast restaurants is adding to demand.
Contact NewsLink Staff with comments at newslink@bsu.edu.
