Cameron Mitchell Restaurants founder and CEO Cameron Mitchell analyzes the impact of the disease on product costs in “The Claman Countdown.”
Those shopping for their daily breakfast essentials may notice an increase in the total on their grocery store recipes.
The Consumer Price Index shows that egg prices have increased by 36.8% compared to the same period last year.
The average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs was $4.15 in December, an increase of nearly $2 from $2.51 per dozen in December 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. UNITED STATES.
Large quantity of free-range eggs at a Costco store in Florida. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
HERE’S WHY GROCERY STORES ARE REALLY RAISING PRICES
One of the main reasons for this increase is the recent avian flu epidemic.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of more than 20 million laying hens during the last quarter of 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Farms are required to cull all birds in an infected flock, devastating the egg industry.
EGG PRICES ARE HIGHER AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 2025
Another factor could be new cage-free laws it started affecting states like Michigan earlier this year.
While Michigan lawmakers amended the animal industry law in 2019, it took effect at the start of the new year, requiring that shell eggs sold come from cage-free farming systems.
The law also prohibits business owners from selling eggs from laying hens that do not have usable floor space or are confined.
Test tubes labeled “Bird Flu” and eggs are seen in this illustration. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Reuters Photos)
Some estimates say the average price of a dozen large eggs could reach nearly $5 by the end of 2025, which would be the highest average price ever recorded for a dozen eggs, Fox News reported Digital. The price of eggs in California has reached nearly $9 a dozen in some areas.
The highest price recorded occurred in January 2023, when the average price of a dozen large eggs was $4.82. A few months later, the price dropped by just over two dollars.
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To cut costs, experts suggest buying eggs in bulk and shopping around for the best prices.
