Nearly $9 a dozen: Why egg prices are skyrocketing and how long they will last
Outbreaks of bird flu have caused Californians to pay exorbitant prices for eggs, with supply chain disruptions leaving some store shelves empty and consumers sometimes scrambling to find a carton of eggs.
The average price of a dozen large eggs in California rose sharply to $8.97 in December from $5.68 at the end of November, and has remained at the same price as at the beginning of the year, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Some stores, including Ralphs in El Segundo, have posted signs explaining that the recent egg shortage is due to “the cost of purchasing cage-free eggs,” a result of California’s Proposition 12, which Effective in 2022, hens will be required not to purchase eggs.
However, the latest and biggest change in the market is due to avian influenza.
Some restaurants have begun raising prices in response to rising egg costs.
Lyndsey Stevens, restaurant manager at Boss Hogg’s Country Kitchen in Farmersville, Calif., told Fresno’s KFSN-TV that the increased costs are forcing restaurants to look for the cheapest egg prices to avoid passing the costs on to customers.
But on the Central Coast, Bon Temps Creole restaurant in San Luis Obispo raised a $15 menu item that includes two eggs to $17, KSBY reported.
An ongoing and large-scale outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has killed poultry in California and damaged the egg supply chain, according to the latest USDA egg report.
Avian influenza viruses are spread through direct contact between birds. They can also be spread through contaminated surfaces or materials, such as feces, egg platforms, crates, clothing and hands.
Bill Matos, president of the California Poultry Federation, told the Ventura County Star-Telegram that once the virus is detected, the chickens are euthanized and it will take several months to repopulate the farm with chickens.
The epidemic has been wreaking havoc on egg farmers since its outbreak in February 2022.
Last month, the USDA reported nine confirmed cases of avian influenza at large and small operations in Merced, Stanislaus, Riverside and San Joaquin counties.
Increased demand for eggs in meals and baked goods during the festive period is adding to the misery for shoppers at supermarket checkouts.
According to the USDA, the disease affects large layer flocks most from October to January, with December being the worst affected.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the outbreak affected 10.16 million birds across the United States in the past 30 days. But the number of infected birds represents only a fraction of the more than 378.5 million laying hens in the United States, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Still, California remains the hardest-hit state, and the year is still off to a rocky start for farmers, as the USDA reports a new case of bird flu in Stanislaus County, affecting 75,200 birds.
Experts say bird flu detection rates are higher in the fall and spring because wild birds spread the virus to laying hens as they migrate to seasonal habitats.
That means consumers can expect egg prices and availability to continue to fluctuate, the American Farm Bureau Federation said.
