Key points
- Average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in US reached $4.95 in January
- US Department of Agriculture predicted last month egg prices were to go up 20pc this year
- The main reason that eggs are more expensive is the bird flu outbreak
OMAHA: Egg prices hit a record high as the US contends with an ongoing bird flu outbreak, but consumers did not need government figures released Wednesday to tell them eggs are terribly expensive and hard to find at times because of an ongoing.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the latest monthly consumer price index showed that the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in US cities reached $4.95 in January, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023.
The spike in egg prices was the biggest since the country’s last bird flu outbreak in 2015 and accounted for roughly two-thirds of the total increase in food costs last month, the AP cited US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We do use eggs a little less often now. You know, because of the price,” said Jon Florey as he surveyed his options in the egg case at Encinal Market in Alameda, California. “I was going to make a quiche that I like to make and it’s about six eggs, so I figured I’d do something else.”
Relief is not expected any time soon. Egg prices typically spike around Easter due to high holiday demand. And the US Department of Agriculture predicted last month that egg prices were likely to go up 20 per cent this year, according to AP.
Even if shoppers can afford eggs, they may have difficulty finding them at times. Some grocers are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked, and customers are encountering surcharges and limits on how many boxes they can buy at a time, the AP reported.
Encinal Market owner Joe Trimble said he has a hard time getting all the eggs he orders from his suppliers, so most of the time his shelves are only about 25 per cent full.
Bird flu outbreak
According to AP, 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 prevent the spread of 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, the AP reported.
And 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, according to US media.
Bird flu cases often spike in the spring and fall when wild birds are migrating because they are the main source of the virus, but cases can pop up any time of year. The virus has spread to cattle and other species, and dozens of people — mostly farmworkers taking care of ill animals — have been sickened.
But health officials say the threat to human health remains low and eggs and poultry are safe to eat because sick animals aren’t allowed into the food supply. Plus, properly cooking meat and eggs to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills any virus, and pasteurization neutralizes bird flu in milk, according to AP.
Labour costs
Egg farmers also face higher feed, fuel, and labour costs these days because of inflation. Ten states have approved 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 is also up significantly in recent years. Consumers are buying more eggs, and the growth of all-day breakfast restaurants is adding to demand.
