High egg prices impact Easter egg hunts for second year
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Call it Easter eggflation: High egg prices are impacting holiday celebrations for the second year in a row.
Why it matters: Supply issues related to the ongoing bird flu outbreak and weather-related demand have fueled the inflation of eggs in recent months.
- Egg prices increased 8.4% last month from January but were still 17% lower than a year ago, according to the latest Consumer Price Index.
- The national average for a dozen eggs was $4.38 as of March 24, down from $4.68 around the same time last year, Datasembly told Axios.
The big picture: Easter is the second hottest demand period of the year for eggs and only trails the busy winter holidays, Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, told Axios.
- There are usually more promotions around Easter but "we're not seeing as much of that this year," Moscogiuri said.
- Eggs are also a big part of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which starts April 22.
Zoom in: Datasembly's Grocery Price Index found the price of eggs is up 45% nationwide in March compared to pre-pandemic times.
- Hawaii has the most expensive eggs at $7.05 for a dozen, followed by Alaska at $6.25, Oregon at $5.97 and California at $5.85.
- Missouri had the cheapest eggs at $3.14 a dozen, followed by Kansas at $3.19, Oklahoma at $3.21 and Vermont at $3.27, according to Datasembly.
Easter egg hunts and "potato eggs"
Record-high egg prices in 2023 sprouted the idea of a budget-friendly Easter alternative like painting potatoes instead of eggs.
Our thought bubble: Consumers aren't expected to scramble to replace eggs with potatoes with the same fervor this year since egg prices are lower.
Yes, but: Potatoes USA, the national marketing and promotion board representing U.S. growers and importers, has a how-to guide on painting the spuds.
- PETA sent a letter to Jill Biden to ask the first lady to replace eggs with potatoes for the White House Easter Egg Roll.
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been asking for "kinder" Easter egg alternatives like plastic or wood eggs for years.
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