Bird Flu Outbreak Drives Egg Prices to Record High in the US

New York: Egg prices in the United States have surged by around 38 percent over the past year, reaching a record high. The average cost for a dozen eggs rose to $3.65 in November, up from $3.37 in October and $2.14 in November 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.

“The $3.65 is just an average,” noted USA Today on Thursday. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) reported that wholesale prices for a carton of large eggs in the New York market increased to $6.06 per dozen, while prices in the Midwest region hovered around $5.75. In California, prices surged to as high as $8.97 per dozen, as of January 3.

In some areas, eggs are simply unavailable on store shelves, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Also Read: Inzamam, Misbah, Mushtaq, and Anwar Among New Inductees in PCB Hall of Fame

Causes Behind the Surge in Egg Prices

Experts and consumers have pointed to several factors contributing to the rising egg prices, with the ongoing bird flu outbreak being the most prominent cause. Other contributing factors include the increasing cost of doing business and changes in local laws.

The USDA AMS stated in a January 3 report that “record-high prices” in grocery stores across the nation were driven by “significant outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial table egg layer flocks” through December.

As of January 6, the bird flu virus has affected more than 130 million poultry across 50 US states since January 2022, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Due to the widespread nature of the outbreak, infected birds are being culled across the United States, with some locations experiencing millions of casualties at a time.