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Bird Flu Causes Egg Prices To Triple At Some Supermarkets

Egg Prices Rise

In light of the bird flu, which has hit hard the farms of the Midwest, leaving millions of birds dead in its wake, egg prices have tripled at some supermarkets, according to reports.

Aaron Irlbeck, the vice president of wholesale purchasing at Fareway Stores Inc., was quoted by The Des Moines Register as having said that eggs which were previously selling for 99 cents are now “in the $3 range,” but at least for the time being, grocers have indicated that the supplies continue to remain steady.

Irlbeck also stated that thus far, they “haven’t had trouble with supply, because the high prices are keeping demand down,” but all the same, the Herald Sun reports that with the increasing egg shortage as a result of the widespread bird flu outbreak, the United States will soon begin to import egg products from the Netherlands.

The importation of egg products from the Netherlands marks the first time in over a decade that the U.S. has brought in eggs from a European nation.

This inclination to allow imported egg products from Europe into the states comes as a result of the H5N2 virus having killed about 35 million egg-laying hens which accounted for 80 percent of the breaker market’s eggs, which are eggs broken, liquified, and either dried or frozen to be used as an ingredient in the creation of processed foods such as mayonnaise and pancake mixes.

In just a few weeks, the Herald Sun reports that one-third of the breaker market supply has disappeared, leaving some companies in what the director of government relations for the American Bakers Association, Cory Martin, has referred to as “very much a crisis” right now.

Our members are not able to get their hands on enough eggs to continue their production. It’s very much a crisis for us right now

In regards to the price rise in contrast between eggs and egg products, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) poultry analyst David Harley said, “Prices have risen for eggs, but prices have risen more for egg products,” USA Today reported.

Prices have risen for eggs, but prices have risen more for egg products (…) That was because of the contamination of some of the eggs in Iowa.

Officials in Iowa confirmed the presence of avian influenza back in April. In May, the lethal-to-birds virus hit a 1.1 million hen farm in Minnesota. Now, it has left some 47 million birds dead or dying.

Are you worried about avian flu’s impact on the cost of food?

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