The prices of sunflower eggs have finally begun to fall. Safe eggs in the Midwest market fell from 58 cents to $3.29 a dozen at the end of January, according to USDA data.
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The prices of sunflower eggs have finally begun to fall. Safe eggs in the Midwest market fell from 58 cents to $3.29 a dozen at the end of January, according to USDA data.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Maybe you’ve seen the funny internet memes about high egg prices? Like the one where the man kneels down and offers, but instead of a ring, he brings out twelve precious eggs!
Well, egg prices have finally started to decline. “We’re seeing wholesale prices come down,” says David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University. The wholesale price of a dozen eggs in the Midwest market dropped from 58 cents to $3.29 a dozen at the end of January, according to USDA data.
There is a slight difference between the drop in wolf prices and what we pay at the grocery store, Ortega says, but we can expect some relief soon. I have already seen the prices at my grocery store.
However, $1.50 a dozen may not return anytime soon. And that inflation has pushed up the cost of food, transportation, and labor. But the biggest factor impacting egg prices is the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HAPI) – which can spread quickly from flock to flock and is lethal in chickens. The CDC estimates that more than 58 million birds have died or been evacuated due to outbreaks.
The virus has caused an acute “attack” on the egg supply, Ortega says. And “there is much uncertainty about how much longer this turmoil will last.” Among these variables, Ortega says the price is sticky. “They tend to rise quickly, but take much longer to come down.”
Avian flu is not new, but scientists say this flurry is more widespread and deadly than the last flurry in 2015. Wild birds have been detected in all 50 states. Typically, wild birds do not suffer from the virus, but the labor circulation now appears more acute. “We’ve seen symptoms and we’ve seen mortality in some wild birds,” says poultry scientist Phillip Clauer of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. ‘It’s a deadly time around,’ says Clauer.
The latest CDC data shows that the avian disease has been detected in several species, including vultures and black geese. There are also some recent reports of infection in owls, red hawks, and bald eagles.
Since the avian disease began circulating last year, outbreaks have occurred at poultry operations in 47 states. Outbreaks typically begin when wild birds such as geese, chickens, turkeys, or other fleas infect commercial or backyard flocks. Once disease is found in any herd, the USDA euthanizes the entire herd. “It’s a very morbid disease that’s very deadly,” Clauer said. “So the whole idea is to get over it and let the birds die humanely, and not allow the disease to spread,” he explains.
Over the years, farmers have adopted biosecurity measures to protect their flocks. “You’re trying to build barriers,” Clauer explains. For example, since the virus can spread through birds’ beaks or feathers, workers are careful to clean their hands, clothes, and shoes. Instruments and tools are also disinfected.
To try to deter the birds from the courts, the farmers set out in the fields around their houses. “You build a shelter between your chickens to protect them,” Clauer said.
The virus poses an “extreme risk” to humans, according to the CDC. The agency says the avian virus “does not usually infect humans,” although last spring, the CDC reported the infection of one person in Colorado who had been in contact with infected chickens. The man reported fatigue and was treated with antiviral medication.
So, when will the riots end?
“We don’t know,” said Dr. Yuko Sato, a veterinarian at Iowa State University. “We hope we are somewhere in the middle or we hope at the end,” he said. Sato says the slaughter of infected flocks is taking a toll on farmers’ movements. “No one is, you know, popular, euthanizing birds,” he said. Next, the egg producer must rebuild the starting flock of chicks. “It takes anywhere between 16 to 18 weeks for the birds to mature, and at that point to lay eggs,” explains Sato. So it’s time to stock up on eggs.
“Our stock is still about 5%, now,” explains Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Board. But he says farmers are recovering and are continuing to invest in preventative measures to prevent bird disease. “I have farmers who have installed light laser systems to prevent migratory birds from entering their barns,” he explains. “I have farms that trade in their workers to reduce truck traffic and lower the risk of contamination.” The hope is that more flexible operations are being made in these efforts.
“Egg prices are definitely trending down,” Metis said. “I think there should be help in looking.”
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