Egg prices are escalating from last year’s Avian Influenza

Inflation has been impacting many food staples from milk to butter and of course the recent increase of egg prices. Since the height of the covid-19 pandemic the prices of eggs, have almost doubled. And while we’ve been battling our own virus, flocks have been fighting the bird flu.

Jason Amundson, the owner of Locally Laid Eggs Company talked more about the harmful impacts from Bird Flu. “52 million birds had to be called recently from the last episode of that disease. So obviously less eggs in the marketplace, which drives up the demand, but increases prices.” Amundson said.

The farmers at “Locally Laid” have a plan to curb the outbreaks. By keeping chickens inside during migratory seasons, from late march through late spring to help reduce the spread. “You know what’s interesting about this whole experience with not having enough eggs on the shelves is we’ve been in situations where we’ve been filling orders consistently time and time and time again, and we have too many eggs. And sometimes you can get caught or get squeezed by simply not having enough eggs. Like we’re in a situation now where we’re in a situation where we just have too many eggs.” Amundson said.

According to data from the Federal Reserve, the prices of a dozen large grade A eggs have more-than doubled to $3.59 in November – up from $1.72 the year-earlier. “From 2021 to 2022, we had a 40% increase in our feed prices and that hasn’t dropped since. And then our packaging prices have gone up. So then that doesn’t help anything either. And then, of course, you had to get the packaging from the plant to your facility.” Amundson said.

Jason Amundson also said there’s actually a unique relationship between egg supply and demand at grocery stores and farms. “So our prices, generally speaking, don’t tend to fluctuate much commodity eggs fluctuate on the market every single day. So as the price, interestingly enough, is inversely related, as the price of gas station eggs or commodity eggs drops, our demand lowers.” Amundson said.

For more information about egg prices you can look here https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Egg%20Markets%20Overview.pdf.

For another story about the Bird Flu you can read that here https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/deadly-bird-flu-returns-to-midwest-earlier-than-expected/.