The cost of eggs in California has reached new heights, with some parts of the state seeing prices spike to $9 per dozen.
The surge in costs can largely be attributed to the continued spread of the bird flu, which has widely disrupted the supply of eggs across the country over the past few years, as previously detailed in a report from The Dallas Express.
According to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the price of a dozen large shell eggs in California rose by nearly 80 cents in the past week alone, reaching a benchmark of $8.97 per dozen.
The bird flu crisis has continued to significantly reduce the country’s egg supply, as millions of “laying hens” have been “culled,” essentially weeded out from the market if they are poor egg producers, in an effort to contain the disease. The additional fact that overall egg production fell in the U.S. by 4% in November of last year, according to a report from the FDA published this week, only worsens the problem.
For example, in Chico, California, a carton of 18-count Great Value Cage-Free Large White Eggs was priced at $9.52 at Walmart. Meanwhile, Safeway in the same area listed an 18-count carton of Lucerne Farms Cage-Free Eggs for $12.99, reported FOX Business.
The price of eggs is part of a larger trend of rising grocery costs that has plagued consumers throughout 2024. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery prices rose by 0.5% in November last year, with eggs showing the steepest increase, climbing by 8.2%. Other staples like meat, poultry, and fish saw increases, with poultry rising by 1.7% during the same period.
In response to the alarming rise in grocery costs, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller set off on a “Gas & Groceries Truth Tour” in 2024 to spotlight the economic difficulties spiked by the Biden administration. He particularly focused on raising awareness of the rising inflation problems affecting American households, especially their food and gas costs.
“Farmers were making more money than they ever made [under Trump], the best commodity prices, and there were still reasonable prices at the grocery store,” Miller previously told The Dallas Express.
Egg prices have been somewhat of a milestone marker on the overall upward trajectory of grocery costs, especially since the bird flu outbreak first began in March 2022.
The recent USDA report writes, “These flock losses, coming at a critical demand point, have driven wholesale prices past the record levels set in December 2022 when HAPI outbreaks had a similar impact on the market.”
Before the bird flu outbreak in March 2022, “flock” numbers were sufficient to keep egg prices lower, with wholesale prices typically under $1.50 per dozen, according to Fox Business.