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Dive Briefing:
Egg prices are rising again as supply shrinks amid a severe outbreak of avian influenza and soaring consumer demand.
wholesale egg prices In August, it topped out at about $3 per dozen.According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up from the usual $1 to $2 range, retail egg prices were up 19 percent in August compared to a year ago. Latest Consumer Price Index DataIn contrast, the broader grocery category grew by just 1%.
Mark Dresner, communications director for the U.S. Egg Board, said egg supplies were “less robust than normal” because of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu. At the same time, U.S. sales have surged to levels not seen since the pandemic.
Dive Insight:
The market has been rocked by wild fluctuations in egg prices over the past few years. After hitting a record high in late 2022, prices crashed but then rose again late last year.
Despite the price fluctuations, consumers are still buying eggs, and buying more of them in recent months. Citing Nielsen data, Dresner said egg sales in August were up more than 5% compared to 2023, with producers selling 237 million eggs in the most recent four weeks.
“We haven’t seen numbers like this since COVID-19 a year ago,” he said, when sales soared as consumers stocked up on essentials like eggs and toilet paper.
As domestic demand remains strong, other countries are also buying more U.S. eggs. According to the U.S. Egg Export Council, total exports for the first four months of this year were 22% increase with 12 eggsHowever, the value fell by 22%.
Demand is expected to increase further as the holiday baking season gets into full swing in the fall and winter months. This could further strain commercial egg supplies, especially since avian influenza spreads more easily in cold climates.
Since the beginning of the year, the avian influenza virus has killed an estimated 18.7 million laying hens and pullets across seven states. United States Department of AgricultureCal-Maine Foods, the largest egg producer in the U.S., is temporarily Discontinued After avian flu was detected at a Texas plant,
Now, two years after the outbreak, producers are better prepared to deal with the threat of avian influenza and “are recovering faster than ever before when they are affected,” Dresner said. Still, rebuilding herds will take time.
“Farmers are doing everything they can to protect their flocks from disease and keep producing eggs,” Dresner said. “We will definitely not let our guard down when it comes to avian influenza.”
