IT’S no secret to American consumers that egg prices are skyrocketing nationwide.
Retailers are scrambling to get inventory and maintain it amid the ongoing spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
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The USDA has determined that over 150 million birds have been affected, with the virus wiping out flocks within 48 hours.
After continued spikes over this past holiday season, it’s become the largest bird flu outbreak in United States history.
The lack of supply to meet the consistent demand due to the crisis has led to some states like Hawaii having an average cost for eggs nearing $10.
Some shoppers claim to have spotted prices as high as $12 at stores like H-E-B, even.
Giants like Walmart and Costco are also selling a dozen eggs for prices in the double-digits and have now had to implement purchase limits in-store and online to prevent brawls over the grocery essential.
While the situation doesn’t seem to be improving anytime soon for retailers and consumers, the biggest egg producer in the United States is making considerable profits, per a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice by the advocacy group Farm Action.
Farm Action accused the producer, Cal-Maine Foods, of deliberately limiting the egg supply.
Cal-Maine Foods is allegedly taking advantage of the ongoing H5N1 spread to “raise prices, amass record profits, and consolidate market power,” the letter argued.
SUPPLY STUNTED?
The organization also claimed several large suppliers of eggs in America are showing a “remarkable unwillingness” to invest in expanding flocks of birds after the deaths of nearly 115 million hens in a 24-month span.
Farm Action, which is a farmer-led non-profit, provided analysis in the letter to claim that Cal-Maine has kept their production “stagnant” at around 1.1 billion dozen eggs each year from 2021 to 2024.
In that time, its gross profits reportedly went up by 646% from 2021 to 2023 and about 237% recently.
At least four other major companies have allegedly colluded with Cal-Maine, according to the letter.
Cal-Maine has yet to release an official statement regarding the claims.
As the egg crisis rages on, the USDA continues to make efforts to try and reign in the spread of the bird flu.
Egg Prices by State
The average egg price for one dozen eggs by state is as follows:
- Hawaii: $9.73
- Florida: $6.36
- Alabama: $6.12
- Nevada: $6.07
- California: $6.05
- Arizona: $6.03
- Georgia: $5.96
- Maine: $5.84
- Wyoming: $5.84
- Colorado: $5.77
- South Carolina: $5.76
- Vermont: $5.70
- Utah: $5.67
- New Mexico: $5.65
- Tennessee: $5.61
- North Carolina: $5.60
- Louisiana: $5.59
- Connecticut: $5.54
- Montana: $5.46
- Texas: $5.43
- New York: $5.37
- Minnesota: $5.10
- Rhode Island: $5.10
- Idaho: $5.09
- New Jersey: $5.05
- Massachusetts: $5.04
- Mississippi: $5.04
- South Dakota: $5.00
- Virginia: $4.96
- Arkansas: $4.95
- Oklahoma: $4.92
- New Hampshire: $4.91
- Washington: $4.91
- North Dakota: $4.83
- Illinois: $4.82
- Michigan: $4.82
- Oregon: $4.81
- Delaware: $4.79
- Maryland: $4.78
- Wisconsin: $4.78
- West Virginia: $4.64
- Alaska: $4.61
- Pennsylvania: $4.52
- Kentucky: $4.51
- Iowa: $4.44
- Kansas: $4.41
- Ohio: $4.39
- Indiana: $4.33
- Nebraska: $4.25
- Missouri: $4.24
Source: World Population Review
EXPERT INSIGHT
Dr. Jim Keen, director of veterinary services for the Center for a Humane Economy and former research scientist with the USDA, told The U.S. Sun that about $1.7 billion has already been invested in stopping it since 2022, and all have “completely failed” so far.
“The saddest part is that the virus is still spreading essentially uncontrolled and unabated in poultry, dairy cattle, and wildlife even after all the previous deaths, culling, quarantines, and expenses,” Dr. Keen said.
“I believe that this US H5N1 bird flu virus is no endemic, or made itself permanently at home here, in the US so that HPAI bird flu is no longer a foreign animal disease — just as the virus previously made itself at home across Asia, Africa, and Europe.”
“The virus is here to stay. I just hope the virus can be contained or at least not become highly virulent in people,” he added.
Dr. Keen added that he “expects it will take several minutes for the egg shortage to be addressed and for egg prices to lower.”
Waffle House also recently implemented a 50-cent surcharge on eggs ordered at its locations.
A beloved retailer has also followed Costco in implementing purchase limits on eggs.
