Egg prices plunging as bird flu subsides and shortages dissipate
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Egg prices are suddenly plunging as the bird flu begins to wane and imports surge to fill the gap.
Why it matters: A massive outbreak of avian influenza has wiped out more than 166 million chickens since 2022, leading to sporadic egg shortages and price hikes.
- It's also turned into a political issue with Republicans and Democrats arguing about who's to blame — and President Trump taking credit for the decline in prices in recent weeks.
By the numbers: The average wholesale price of a dozen eggs was $3 Friday, down 8% from $3.27 on March 21, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released Friday.
- It's down 63% from a record $8.15 in the Feb. 21 report.
The big picture: Retail prices, which typically trail wholesale, are beginning to drift downward as well.
- "It was only four weeks ago that we were at the highest price the market had ever seen," Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, told Axios. "So it just takes time for those lower prices to be passed along."
- Purchasing restrictions and slowing consumer demand also "placed significant downward pressure on the market," Ryan Hojnowski, with price-reporting service Expana, told Axios.
State of play: Inventories are recovering amid a sudden and largely unexplained slowdown in bird flu cases. The Trump administration has also taken steps to boost egg imports to combat higher prices.
Threat level: The U.S. lost more than 12% of its caged egg-laying hens from Jan. 1 to March 21, according to the USDA.
- Yes, but: The bird flu outbreak has vacillated in the last three years and could quickly spike again.
What's next: This is traditionally one of the highest demand periods for eggs, with eggs playing a big part of Easter traditions and Passover.
- This year, Easter is April 20, while Passover starts April 12.
- Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins warned on March 11 that the Easter season has "the highest price for eggs" and prices could "inch back up."
The intrigue: Ironically, as egg prices are coming down, coffee prices are poised to spike by double digits, Reuters reports.
- Roasters are in talks with retailers about passing on significant price increases after wholesale prices of arabica coffee doubled in the past year.
