Egg prices are climbing in anticipation of the coming Easter holiday, according to the Texas Farm Bureau, though prices remain substantially below 2023 prices.
The Bureau reports that the national average for a dozen eggs is anticipated to be around $3 per dozen this year, down from a high $4.82 in January 2023 when avian influenza forced millions of hens to be put down.
“We’re actually producing more eggs than we did a year ago, but eggs have a seasonal pattern to them,” AgriLife Extension economist Dr. David Anderson told the Texas Farm Bureau. “And with Easter being earlier than usual this year, we’re also seeing prices rise earlier than we typically would.”
Americans purchase 180 million eggs for Easter each year, according to Business Insider, and 83% of families say they participate in Easter egg hunts. In addition to eggs, Americans buy 16 million egg-dying kits as part of the tradition.
Experts indicate that the N5H1 variant of avian flu continues to cause problems for ranchers.
“Since the re-emergence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza … in egg-laying flocks at the start of November, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has reported 13.64 million table egg-laying hens lost to the disease,” the most recent Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook released in February states.
While bird flu has driven recent increases in egg prices, demand around Easter will also drive prices up. Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute sector manager Kevin Bergquist told Good Morning America that prices are “historically higher” because of the seasonal demand.
“We expect this will probably be true again this year. Although it’s hard to say whether consumers will find sales or bargain-priced eggs before Easter at their local grocer, they may find that conventional eggs are comparatively less expensive than specialty eggs,” Bergquist said.
Anderson said that prices could drop if consumer demand is not as strong as anticipated, according to the Texas Farm Bureau.
“But I don’t think I’d wait until right before Easter to buy your eggs, just in case the demand is stronger than expected,” he said, per the Texas Farm Bureau. “You probably don’t want to wait too long to get eggs, especially if you’re planning on using real ones for your Easter egg hunt.”