Egg prices have gone way up! Why?

Forsyth MO. – Anyone who may have desired to purchase a carton of eggs may also have been shocked by the recent rise in the price! Back in November of 2017, I bought a dozen eggs for at the Country Mart just seventy nine cents! Then right after the New Year, the prices shot up and to around $2.49 in mid march 2018! Wow. Why exactly is that?

Iowa State University professor Hongwei Xin, who directs the school’s Egg Industry Center, says domestic and international demand for U.S. eggs have been on the rise.

“We are at 273.7, about 274 eggs per capita per year,” he says of U.S. consumption. “This is the highest of the past 38 years.” And he says it’s expected to continue climbing.

So, increased demand is one factor! Another key factor relates to the Avian flu, which have decimated flocks world wide.

The good news is that U.S. egg producers appear to be increasing the size of their laying flocks, which ultimately will increase supply and potentially push prices down, this according to the USDA.

Xin also says it’s important to take the long view of egg prices. From 2010-2014, the average price of a dozen eggs in the first quarter was $1.22 per dozen. That was before the avian flu outbreak wreaked havoc on the industry, so the projection for the next few months is below what consumers have weathered in the recent past.