High Pathogenic Avian Influenza has taken the U.S. by storm over the last year, causing the loss of nearly 58 million birds and sending egg prices soaring.
This week’s Consumer Price Index report showed egg prices are up 60 percent. Egg inventories were down nearly 30 percent in the final week of 2022. By the end of December, more than 43 million egg-laying hens had died.
The uptick in cases in the fall coincided with high demand during the holidays. In turn, egg prices began to spike with constrained supplies. This USDA chart shows how prices lined up with inventories throughout the year. Inventories are rebounding, and prices could come down as producers rebuild their egg-laying flocks.
All over the U.S., consumers have been sharing photos online of the high prices they have been paying for eggs. Sid Miller, the Texas Ag Commissioner posted this picture of him dishing out almost $9 for a box of 18 eggs.
So...how about those egg prices..? pic.twitter.com/EMgRhLHm6G
— Sid Miller (@MillerForTexas) December 30, 2022
Jill from Arizona is paying even more. She is paying nearly $10 for two dozen eggs.
Anyone else seeing shockingly high egg prices? It’s almost as bad as gasoline. #eggs #wtf pic.twitter.com/12VZ9VArvC
— Jill (@dback_girl) January 7, 2023
