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The price of a dozen eggs in California has reached nearly $9 a dozen in some regions, as demand continues to rise amid an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu.
In its overview of egg markets last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the California benchmark for large-shell eggs rose $0.78 to $8.97 per dozen, due to of a reduction in supply.
These prices can be seen when purchasing online eggs in supermarkets across the state.
For example, Walmart in Chico, Calif., listed a carton of 18 large, cage-free white eggs from Great Value on Tuesday evening for $9.52, while a dozen eggs of the same type from Great Value were listed at $7.22.
EGG PRICES ARE HIGHER AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 2025
Large quantity of cage-free eggs at CostCo store in Florida. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
At Safeway in the same city, an 18-egg carton of Lucerne Farms Eggs Cage-Free Large White Eggs was listed for $12.99, although a dozen were not listed for sale on the retailer’s website .
Walmart and Safeway’s parent company, Albertsons, did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on egg prices.
“Demand for shell eggs saw a slight uptick in the last two weeks of the year, supported by concerns over tight supplies due to persistent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in flocks of laying hens,” the USDA wrote. “These herd losses, coming at a critical time for demand, have pushed wholesale prices beyond the record levels set in December 2022, when PAH outbreaks had a similar impact on the market. »
The FDA also reported this week that egg production in the United States fell 4% in November as egg prices and cases of bird flu continue to rise across the country.
HERE’S WHY GROCERY STORES ARE REALLY RAISING PRICES
Test tubes labeled “Bird Flu” and eggs are seen in this illustration. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Reuters Photos)
Kevin Bergquist, industry director at the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, said egg prices have been high since 2023 due to a combination of seasonal price increases around the holidays and egg supply disruption due to bird flu.
Over the past year, prices have “generally” remained above 2023 prices and have even “often exceeded egg prices from 2022 onwards, when HPAI really took over the egg market”, according to Bergquist.
Wholesale egg prices, which jumped nearly 55% in November, do not necessarily reflect table eggs prices at the grocer, which can vary considerably.
FDA RAISES COSTCO EGG RECALL TO HIGHEST RISK LEVEL DUE TO SALMONELLA FEARS
In the hands of a woman packing eggs in the supermarket (iStock/iStock)
According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery prices rose 0.5% in November, as costs for four of the six major grocery food groups increased. Eggs showed the largest increase, by far.
Prices for meat, poultry and fish rose 1.7% in November, but prices for eggs rose 8.2%.
Before the great avian flu epidemic by March 2022, flock numbers were at a level that supported declining egg prices, according to Bergquist. He noted that the wholesale price was less than $1.50 per dozen.
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However, the outbreak disrupted the market, leading to a record rise in egg prices in December 2022. The average price was corrected to a lower level by 2023 as producers restocked their flocks.
Daniella Genovese of FOX Business contributed to this report.
