Typically, large white eggs in this area cost somewhere between $ 0.70 and $ 1.10 per dozen, said Earnest, who noted that Midwest prices serve as a national benchmark. Around Easter, when demand is high, these prices could reach around $ 2, he said – much lower than they were on Thursday. Higher feed costs and supply chain difficulties have made many foods more expensive this year and eggs are no exception. But this particular peak is due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza that has been detected in swarms across the country, Ernest noted. It is the worst outbreak of bird flu in the US since 2015. Although the flu is deadly to poultry, it is “primarily an animal health issue,” according to the Centers for Disease Control, which added that it believes the risk of the general public Health from current H5N1 avian influenza viruses is low. Because the flu is so contagious and deadly to birds, the USDA protocol is to kill infected herds to limit the spread of the disease. In Iowa, the country’s leading egg producer, “we currently have more than a dozen sites affected by the disease,” including three laying hens, said Chloe Carson, communications director at Iowa Agriculture. As a result, “we had to deplete 11.2 million laying hens,” out of about 56 million laying hens in Iowa in total, he said. This particular strain of flu is transmitted by wild migratory birds, Carson explained. The migration period usually lasts from March to May, he noted. “As long as immigration patterns persist, there is a risk that disease will continue to enter our home populations,” Carson said.
More expensive eggs this summer
Although wholesale egg prices are soaring, this does not mean that supermarkets are passing on these costs to consumers, Earnest explained. Retailers often “beat the eggs to attract store traffic,” he said. Generally, around Easter or Christmas, when people are more likely to bake, “we will see a reduced price on the shelf for eggs.” So instead of raising prices, some stores seem to be facing higher costs by eliminating their egg offers. “Retail promotion was very limited and offered little incentive for buyers to buy beyond immediate needs,” according to the USDA Weekly Egg Market Overview, published last Friday. Eventually, however, prices are likely to rise. “I would expect to see at least a premium of 30 or 40 percent more [typical prices] “during the summer months this year as a result of the narrower offer,” Ernest said. He also noted that even before the flu was detected in the US earlier this year, the number of laying hens was relatively low. And stocks of frozen or dried eggs “are declining significantly from what they normally are,” he said. This may mean that there will be some egg shortages later this year.
