DETROIT (WWJ) -- High egg prices are beginning to become an issue for Metro Detroit-area restaurants and vendors.
In Michigan, egg prices have soared by around 36.8% over the past year, with prices of some varieties reaching a high of $8.99 per dozen in certain areas.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans should expect to see about a 20% increase in the price of eggs this year, with no end to the bird flu outbreak in sight.
Those who buy and sell eggs in the Metro Detroit area are starting to really feel the pinch.
Chris Toco of C. Tocco and Co. has been selling eggs to restaurants and markets for 35 years at Detroit's Eastern Market.
Along with the bird flu problem, Tocco believes the state's new cage free law -- requiring that chicken be housed a certain way -- is a big reason for the high prices.
"They've switched over to cage free, so there's a big expense for the farms to be able to accommodate that," Tocco told WWJ's Charlie Langton. "And they're gonna pass on the buck to us."
The price for a case of 15 dozen eggs was around $60 or so earlier last year, Tocco said. Now it's over $100 a case.
Tocco said this expense is then passed on to the customer, who has to pay about $2 more for a dozen eggs.
The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year -- as the Avian Flu epidemic persists. Some grocery stores have even limited how many eggs shoppers can buy.
Republican State Sen. Lana Theis has introduced a bill to repeal Michigan's cage-free eggs mandate — which just took effect this month. She acknowledged that bird flu is the primary cause of egg price increases, she said the cage-free mandate put extra stress on farmers and producers.
MORE: Egg prices are soaring. Don't Expect that to change anytime soon