Summary
Major egg corporations may be using avian flu as a ruse to hike up prices, generating record profits while hurting American consumers, new research suggests.
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Egg prices soared to nearly $5 a dozen, rising 157% since before the avian flu outbreak, despite only a 9% drop in laying hens.
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Cal-Maine, controlling 20% of the US market, saw a sevenfold profit increase in 2023 compared to 2021.
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Over 166 million poultry have been culled, but critics say consolidation and slow flock replacement may inflate prices beyond the virus’s 12-24% direct cost.
Lawmakers urge investigations, while the Trump administration plans vaccines, reduced culling, and a $1bn avian flu fund to help stabilize costs.
They’re $11 in southern California.
I saw $10 at my regular store in Ohio last week. The same was $2 three years ago. That wasn’t even good “free range” eggs although I don’t believe that marketing. Backyard chickens are where it is at.
$11 in Western WA state too.
$5?! Where?! They’re $9.99 here in Los Angeles. :(
Same in solidly red Bible belt area I live in. $21 for 30.
For real, Seattle is like this too. We’re going to be paying $1/egg soon!
Kirkland Costco, admittedly 2-3 weeks ago. Something like $9.59 for two dozen.
Something between $9 and $10 on the price tag is what I remember.
No idea what it is now.
$16.49 in Brooklyn yesterday
6.79 out here in rural nebraska, they were 3.50 a month ago
Too bad price gouging isn’t prosecuted anymore.
Somewhere out there must still be super cheap to be pushing the average down to five
You can probably get the cheapest, 5 birds per cage, hormone fed eggs somewhere for around that price. A lot of states have standards that don’t allow those eggs to be sold, though. Here in WA, for example, there are regulations around the treatment of chickens that raise the average price. I can’t find eggs for less than about $7 per dozen right now.
No I can’t. That’s why I said it. Cheapest eggs in my area are $6 now.
Somewhere. Not where you are. Read what I wrote, maybe?
It’s a free market!!!
Shocked Pikachu face.
They were caught doing it the last time bird flu was a thing. Trump then fired the people who caught them, so, good luck
This is why I refuse to buy eggs until prices go down to normal. I’m not going to reward them for taking advantage.
The industry has already been found liable for such behavior: https://apnews.com/article/egg-producers-price-gouging-lawsuit-conspiracy-be6919b3fb42bf2d9d3884d5e133e91d
People cannot keep up with the costs. The government isn’t doing anything. They let corporations get away with everything
sighs This is so very frustrating. 😖
What a hurtful thing to say about a “person”.
/s
Torches & pitchforks.
How can a country be in such a hysteria over egg prices? Don’t they have anything to eat but eggs?
Don’t be dense.
It’s a symptom of an overall problem.
The only time i hear about egg prices is on the internet and now it’s a rebuttal of all the trump propaganda that was used against Biden
“No shit.”
$5/dozen is pretty good compared to most prices I’ve seen.
Shocked Pikachu face.
Claiming that a 157% price hike cannot be explained by a 9% drop in supply is just bad economics. If everybody just buys the eggs anyway the price can rise arbitrarily high.
Profits increasing on the short term is very plausible as costs don’t rise from having some hens die, but supply drops. This is over compensated with price increases.
