Our egg prices are skyrocketing to raise the highs as farmers are forced to massacre millions of chickens in order to stop the spread of bird flu.
This week, the wholesale market reached over $8 in total, more than $8 in total, according to Expana, a commodity pricing information service. Grocers, including Walmart and Kroger, have begun purchasing rations in certain cases. The Waffle House chain (a staple in the Southern and Midwest) costs an extra 50 cents of eggs to cook.
The supply of fresh eggs is scarce as farmers cull millions of hens to control variants of avian influenza, which first appeared in US commercial flocks three years ago.
Similar to gasoline prices, eggs are visible signs of volatile inflation to consumers. The consumer price index rose 3% year-on-year in January, while the egg index rose more than 50%, reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday. The average US resident will eat about 270 eggs this year, a USDA forecast of about 270 eggs.
Egg prices are also politically resonated, and were the offensive line in last year’s White House campaign. US vice presidential candidate JD Vance then stood before the supermarket egg incident and criticised the economic policies of his predecessor, Kamala Harris. . The price was $4.95 in January.
Democrats are currently seizing the issue. “We went to get eggs. You can see that the prices of these eggs jumped to around $8. But Ted Liu, a democratic representative from California, recently announced this week. He spoke on a trip to the grocery store.
Top egg retailers are Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Albertsons and Aldi. Market research firms say a majority of consumers (55%) are aware of shortages or out-of-stock eggs at local stores.
Chains that include Kroger, Aldi and Walmart impose restrictions on purchases at certain locations or at certain package sizes.
“Even though supply is very strict, we are working with our suppliers to meet customer demand and strive to keep prices as low as possible,” Walmart said.
Cal-Maine Foods, the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs, has outperformed supply as demand reported a quarterly total profit of $356 million, and is one year ago It said it was a four-fold increase.
“Undoubtedly, we have been facing major challenges recently, both in the company and the egg industry as a whole due to the ongoing outbreak,” said Chief Executive Sherman Miller.
Farmers have lost about 46 million egg-laying in the past four months or 15% of the national herd of 304 million, according to Expana editor Karyn Rispoli. “Avian flu has been waves and waves over the past few years, but this current outbreak is still serious and there are no signs of slowing down,” she said.
Gino Lorenzoni, an associate professor of poultry science and bird health at Penn State University, said the virus is usually spread from farm to farm by wild birds. Workers who come into contact with the feces can carry it to the chicken barn above the boots.
Once a single case is detected, the entire herd must be culled.
“The virus is very deadly,” Lorenzoni said, but the industry “is trying to get there very quickly and kill animals before the virus spreads to other facilities.”
Egg prices have risen as well as increased farm operating costs for farms, including disposable coveralls, booties, hairnets and enhanced disinfection protocols. .
Similarly, market demand for cageless eggs was increasing costs, as each barn contains fewer animals, Lorenzoni said.
This week’s USDA increased its forecast for the average wholesale price of Grade A eggs to $4.44 per dozen in 2025. The division predicts that US chickens will lay 89.6 billion dozen eggs this year, cutting that outlook since last month.
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Prices remain robust due to solid demand for winter breaks, according to Amy Smith, vice-chairman of Advanced Economic Solutions, a food and agriculture consultant. A severe winter storm in the southeast last month caused households to increase stock, but consumers taking GLP-1’s popular weight loss pills have been changing their diets towards protein.
supermarkets have, in some cases, falling below wholesale prices as loss leaders to attract customers to the store, say in Smith and Expana’s Rispoli.
“Some price increases have passed, but they weren’t as important as they would curb consumer interest,” Rispoli said.
