281
Egg prices are rising not only in Ukraine. The rapid rise in the cost of eggs in the US, triggered by the outbreak of bird flu, is forcing retailers to resort to emergency measures, and buyers to review their financial capabilities, and sometimes to go to extremes, writes the BBC.
Over the past two years, the cost of eggs in the United States has increased by an average of 65%, 40% of which occurred between December 2023 and December 2024.
Bird flu has been haunting American farmers since January 2022. According to the Associated Press, since the beginning of the epidemic, about 145 million chickens and other poultry have been destroyed across the country, not only because they were sick, but also for preventive purposes.
At the end of 2024, the flu outbreak intensified, and in just two months — in November-December — approximately 17 million birds had to be culled.
As a result, the price of a dozen grade A eggs jumped from $3,65 to $4,15 in a month.
For comparison, prices for chicken eggs have also jumped in Ukraine. The average price is about 70-80 UAH per dozen, which is a little less than $2.
According to the USDA, egg prices will increase by about 2025% in 20. This trend has already been in effect for the past two weeks.
The National Restaurant Association (NAR) says that catering establishments have been particularly hard hit by the crisis.
For example, the Waffle House chain in Georgia, which has more than two thousand restaurants across the country, was forced to introduce a temporary surcharge of 50 cents on each egg sold due to a sudden shortage.
“Visitors and restaurants are forced to make difficult decisions,” the company's management admitted in an interview with CNN.
Egg crisis: markups and theft
Breakfast chain Waffle House serves 272 million eggs a year, far more than any other food.
According to NRA representatives, such establishments have virtually no choice: either change their menus or raise prices.
Customers of cafes and restaurants who are dissatisfied with the markup and are willing to make their own omelets at home are also in for an unpleasant surprise in supermarkets: eggs are quickly swept off the shelves, even at inflated prices.
Eggs, as a scarce commodity, have already been targeted by criminals. In early February, criminals in Pennsylvania stole 100 eggs worth $40 from a truck delivering groceries to Pete & Gerry's Organics.
“I don’t want to be a bad news story, but this is a long-term situation,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Council. “Until we have a sustained period without avian flu cases, this acute egg shortage will unfortunately continue.”
