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The price of one Eggs in California Because of the outbreak of super-acute bird flu, or bird flu, demand in some areas has reached about $9 per dozen.
California's benchmark for large shell eggs rose $0.78 to $8.97 per dozen due to reduced supply, the USDA said in its overview of egg markets last week.
These prices can be viewed when shopping online Eggs in supermarkets across the state
For example, Walmart in Chico, Calif., listed an 18-count carton of large cage-free white eggs for $9.52 on Tuesday night, while a dozen similar eggs from Great Value listed for $7.22. became
Egg prices are higher and will continue until 2025
Lots of cage free eggs at CostCo, Florida. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
At Safeway in the same city, an 18-count carton of Lucerne Farms cage-free large white eggs was listed for $12.99, although the dozen were not listed for sale on the retailer's website.
Albertsons, the parent company of Walmart and Safeway, did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment on egg prices.
“Demand for shell eggs increased slightly in the last two weeks of the year, driven by concerns about low supply due to ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in layer flocks,” the USDA wrote. “These herd losses, which are at a critical point in demand, pushed wholesale prices past the record levels set in December 2022, when the HAPI outbreak had a similar impact on the market.”
The FDA also reported this week Egg production in the United States It fell 4% in November as egg prices and bird flu cases continued to rise across the country.
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Test tubes labeled “bird flu” and eggs are seen in this image. (Reuters/Dado Rovic/Photo Reuters)
Kevin Bergquist, director of Wells Fargo's Agricultural Institute, said egg prices have increased since 2023 due to a combination of seasonal price increases during the holidays and egg supply disruptions due to bird flu.
According to Bergquist, prices have remained “generally” higher than 2023 prices last year and even “often exceeded egg prices from 2022, when HPAI really took over the egg market.”
Wholesale egg prices, which rose nearly 55 percent in November, don't necessarily reflect consumer eggs. Prices in grocery stores, That can be very different.
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In the hands of a woman packing eggs in a supermarket (iStock)
According to the Consumer Price Index, food prices rose 0.5 percent in November, and four of the six major food groups at grocery stores saw price increases. Eggs showed the biggest increase by a wide margin.
Meat, poultry and fish prices rose 1.7 percent in November, but egg prices rose 8.2 percent.
Before the big bird flu outbreak According to Bergquist, in March 2022, flock numbers were at a level that would support lower egg prices. The wholesale price is less than $1.50 per dozen, he noted.
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However, the outbreak disrupted the market and led to record egg prices in December 2022. As producer herds rebuild, the average price is revised to a lower level by 2023.
FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.