In the past two years, the cost of eggs has been steadily on the rise due to a number of food shortages and price increases. This trend has only become more prominent in 2022, with egg prices reaching new heights. In fact, some areas across the United States have experienced an increase of up to 40% in egg costs since the start of the year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has uncovered the shocking truth—egg prices have skyrocketed, with a whopping 49.1 percent increase in just 12 months.
The average cost of a dozen large, Grade A eggs more than doubled to $3.59 in November 2022 from $1.72 in November 2021. Prices have been escalating for nine consecutive weeks … setting new record highs on a daily basis since the week of Thanksgiving
So what has been causing this increase in price?
It can be boiled down to 3 main issues:
- An increase in holiday demand
- Higher production costs for farmers
- An uptick in a fatal and high contagious disease for avian species
The biggest issue out of those 3 has been the superior version of the “bird flu” that has been going around.
Since the outbreak of avian influenza in Feb 2022, an alarming 43 million egg-laying hens have been lost according to USDA estimates–an extraordinary loss with serious implications.
As of early December, there were about 308 million “layers,” meaning hens laying eggs for consumption, in the US. That’s down from 328 million the year prior. “Typically, you need about one bird per person to have a close-to-balanced supply and demand with US consumption,” said Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited.
Luckily, this bird flu is not a foodborne illness, so poultry and eggs found in grocery stores are safe to eat.