Average egg prices in the state of California are nearing $9 per dozen as the avian flu impacts supply across the country.
And there doesn’t appear to be much alleviation in sight.
A new weekly Egg Markets Overview report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture published on Friday revealed that the California benchmark for large shell eggs was “unchanged at $8.97 per dozen with a steady undertone,” meaning there is not much volatility in those prices.
That marks a 70 percent increase in a single month, according to a report from Axios.
The increased prices come after “a combination of highly pathogenic avian influenza” as well as facility fires caused the loss of 39.9 million commercial table egg layers across a dozen states, per the USDA.
“The impact of these losses on the marketplace has been influenced by the timing of the losses relative to seasonal demand patterns, the range of production systems affected, legislated restraints in certain states, and the end use of the production from affected flocks,” the report added.
The last two months of 2024 saw 43 percent of the losses for the year, most of which occurred in December.
Those losses came right before “peak annual shell egg demand period” during the winter holidays, thereby causing record wholesale and retail prices.
“Unlike in past years, in 2024, all major production systems experienced significant losses including conventional caged, cage-free, and certified organic types,” the report continued.
While the prices in California are especially high, other regions have been impacted by the trend.
Egg wholesale prices in the New York market are currently $6.06 per dozen, while large white shell eggs delivered wholesale to warehouses in the major Midwest production region are $5.75 per dozen.
Industry experts likewise noted the record prices and supply challenges.
“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,” Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, said in comments to Axios.
(Eggs Unlimited is based in Irvine, California.)
“Production is extremely tight, probably at some of the lowest levels since avian flu started back in 2022,” he added.
Emily Metz, the president and CEO of the American Egg Board, added to the outlet that “the volume of eggs sold at retail has been up year-over-year for 20 consecutive months.”
“These two forces combined — tight supply and high demand — are directly causing the spike in wholesale prices we’ve seen recently,” she observed.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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