Once again, a simple breakfast of eggs is looking more and more like a delicacy, with prices up nearly 40% in the last year. As of November, a carton of eggs cost a little under $4 on average in the U.S.
A Jan. 3 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said there have been “record-high prices in many retail markets across the nation, driven by rising concerns about limited availability of shell eggs at some grocery stores across the nation resulting from persistent and significant outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial table egg layer flocks through December.”
According to USA Today, egg prices have increased nationwide by around 38% in the last year. In December, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported that the average price for a dozen eggs in a U.S. city was $3.65, up from around $2.20 in November 2023.
As U.S. consumers have dealt with inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, eggs prices have often shot up higher than they normally are. As the USDA noted, egg prices have also been impacted by avian influenza.
Back in November 2023, Audacy reported on an outbreak that had been ongoing since early 2022. By that time, the outbreak had resulted in the slaughter of nearly 63 million birds.
From January 2022 through today more than 133 million highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses have been detected in U.S. wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry and backyard or hobbyist flocks beginning in January 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These cases have been reported in all 50 states.
According to United Egg Producers, U.S. table egg production decreased 3% in 2022 compared to 2021. Since 200, per capita consumption of eggs in the U.S. has increased 4.8%.
Last April and September, Audacy reported that egg prices were rising again due to avian influenza outbreaks. This month, we reported on the first death of a human infected with bird flu in the U.S. – a Louisiana man who was exposed to birds in a backyard flock and wild birds.
USA Today said experts point to the ongoing bird flu outbreak as a main reason for rising egg prices, as well as rising costs of doing business. In some places, new laws may also be contributing to higher prices.
For example, Audacy station KNX News in Los Angeles recently reported on an egg shortage in California. Per USA Today, California has been “hit especially hard by egg woes.”
However, missing out on eggs in California might be worth it, since the state is striving to make living conditions safer for animals. Proposition 12, the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, has put new restrictions on how hens, sows and veal calves can be kept. USA Today explained that it “in part banned confinement of egg-laying hens (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) in certain areas with less than 1 square foot of usable floor space per hen.”
In a “shell index” report issued Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail demand ranged from moderate to good and offerings were very light to light.
For those wondering when egg prices might come back down, USA Today said that depends on when producers can recover their stock of healthy hens. USDA market forecast reports have recently reflected decreased production predictions for the upcoming year, indicating that high prices could persist for some time.
“With the outbreak still raging, however, it's unclear when that will happen. And, things may get worse before they get better,” USA Today said.