Shelling: Egg prices have increased by about 37 percent.
Cameron Mitchell, founder and chief executive of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, revealed the impact of the disease on commodity prices in the ‘Clarman Count’.
People who shop for their daily breakfast essentials may notice a total increase in their grocery bills.
The Consumer Price Index shows that egg prices have increased by 36.8% compared to last year.
The average price of a dozen large eggs was $4.15 in December, up nearly $2 from $2.51 in December 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Large size cage free eggs at a Costco store in Florida. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Why are grocers increasing prices?
One of the big reasons for the growth is the recent outbreak of bird flu.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was directly or indirectly responsible for killing more than 20 million laying hens in the last quarter of 2024, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Farms must destroy the egg industry and destroy all birds in infected flocks.
Egg prices are high and will continue until 2025
Another factor could be new shield-free laws that began hitting states like Michigan earlier this year.
When Michigan lawmakers revised the Animal Industry Act in 2019, it took effect early in the new year — requiring sold shell eggs to be cage-free housing systems.
In addition, the law prohibits business owners from selling eggs from laying hens that do not have usable floor space or are confined.
This diagram shows test tubes labeled “bird flu” and eggs. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Reuters Photos)
Some estimates suggest that the average price of a dozen large eggs could be close to $5 by the end of 2025, the highest average price on record for twelve eggs, Fox News Digital reported. In California, egg prices have reached nearly $9 a dozen in some areas.
The highest price recorded was in January 2023, when the average price of ten large eggs was $4.82. Months later, the price dropped to just over two dollars.
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To reduce costs, experts recommend buying eggs in bulk and at the best prices.