WA egg prices soar as supply dwindles, bird flu to blame

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USDA staff attribute the recent rise in egg prices, along with a supply shortage, to millions of commercial flocks killed by an outbreak of bird flu that began spreading across the United States in early 2022 Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times File

If you’re struggling to find a reasonably priced carton of eggs at your local supermarket, you’re not alone. In fact, a viral outbreak is responsible for skyrocketing egg prices.

Egg prices continue to set records at retail stores amid continued supply chain shortages. The USDA released a report Monday that shows the average price of a dozen high-quality white eggs across all regions of the United States is now around $5.25. That’s more than three times higher than the same time in 2022, when the average price for Grade A white eggs was $1.57.

Additionally, the average price of a dozen organic brown eggs hovered around $3.66 for the month of December in the Pacific Northwest region.

In the Tacoma region, the eggs most affected by the supply issue are brown and grade A eggs, as well as extra large and jumbo size cartons. Inside one of the city’s Fred Meyer locations, there were no grade A organic brown eggs of any size on the shelves. At the time of writing, a spokesperson for Fred Meyer did not respond to The News Tribunes’ request for comment on the store’s egg supply situation.

Another local Tacoma business, Metropolitan Market, also had no large organic brown eggs in stock.

The News Tribune reached out to the Costco administration to discuss the company’s egg prices and supply situation, they declined to comment.

Among the eggs in storage, non-cage white cartons remained abundant at several Tacoma locations.

Prices for a dozen were as low as $2.49 at some stores. In general, customers should expect prices of around $4.49 or more for a dozen large AA-grade brown eggs. If you’re lucky to find a box of Grade A brown eggs, don’t be surprised if they cost over $7 for a dozen or more.

Impact of bird flu on egg prices

A major culprit for today’s supply problem is highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to Lyndsay Cole, deputy director of public affairs for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in an email to The NewsTribune. An outbreak in a commercial farm was first detected in early February 2022.

Then the disease culled large numbers of chickens at a Franklin County commercial farm in December, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

In total, the outbreak has affected more than 57 million birds since the virus was first detected in wild waterfowl in January 2022, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In commercial flocks, the virus has killed more than 44 million laying hens and five outbreaks have occurred in Pierce County. This has led to a perfect storm in today’s egg market, Cole said.

To date, depopulations at commercial egg-laying facilities have reduced the national egg supply by about 7.5% per month, on average, Cole said via email. Meanwhile, consumer prices for shell eggs have increased compared to December 2021.

Lezlie Sterling [email protected]

A USDA report released on Friday shows that consumer demand for shell eggs is much higher this month compared to January 2022. Additionally, while egg production has increased through 2021, production gradually decreased from the beginning to the end of 2022.

Avian flu is not the only factor driving up the price of eggs. The USDA report indicates that a competitive animal protein market is also driving demand from retail customers.

As the new year begins, more than a few consumers are looking to change their food choices to support healthier lifestyle resolutions and eggs remain a top option, the report says. Recent record egg prices have started to soften, but it will be some time before this is reflected in the case of dairy products.

Bird flu is spread through the saliva, nasal secretions and feces of birds, according to the CDC. It is rare for the disease to spread to humans, although some cases have already been reported.

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