Egg prices skyrocket to record highs over bird flu outbreak, says USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture blamed a bird flu outbreak for skyrocketing egg prices over the last few weeks.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said that egg production dropped by 4% in November to 8.92 billion. Of those, 7.68 billion were table eggs and 1.24 billion were hatching eggs.

‘Production is extremely tight, probably at some of the lowest levels since avian flu started back in 2022.’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 128 million birds in all 50 states had been infected by the H5N1 bird flu, including commercial poultry, wild aquatic birds, and “backyard or hobbyist flocks.”

Californians have been forced to pay 70% more for eggs over the last month, according to price reporting service Expana.

Other causes are also contributing to egg price hikes. In Michigan, a new law requires all stores to sell only eggs from cage-free sources. A Michigan State University study found that the law would require specialized labor and double the investment than that of traditional caged sources. The law was originally passed in 2009 but was delayed until the end of 2024.

Eggs Unlimited global trade strategist Brian Moscogiuri told Axios that prices are hitting record highs for commodity eggs as well as cage-free eggs.

“We’re moving beyond the holiday baking season but at the same time, we are continuing to monitor avian flu and the impact on supply,” he said. “Production is extremely tight, probably at some of the lowest levels since avian flu started back in 2022.”

In December, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued an emergency declaration over the spread of bird flu in order to activate state efforts to limit infections.

“While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” said Newsom.

Obama-era economic analyst Steve Rattner hoped the egg debacle would hurt President-elect Donald Trump.

“With its inflationary impact on egg prices and increasing threat to public health, the bird flu could spell trouble for Trump, who promised to lower prices and has a dubious public health record,” he posted on social media with a graph of egg prices.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!