Eggs are more expensive than they were last year.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of a dozen Grade A eggs jumped from $1.82 last year to almost $3.60 in 2022.  While part of the increase is due to the rising price of chicken feed, the real culprit is highly pathogenic avian influenza.  HPAI has infected more than 57 million hens this year, starting in the spring and continuing to flare up through the rest of 2022.

 

“Spring was the first time we had egg prices spike,” said Daniel Sumer, an ag economics professor at the University of California-Davis.  He added eggs are a staple for many people and can’t be cut back on when the price rises. When prices go up, people tend to buy them anyway. “That drives the price higher and higher,” he noted. “And that has to happen because the supplies are more limited.”

 

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com 

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