The agriculture sector predicts that the current record price of eggs could skyrocket over 40% in 2025 as the Trump administration provided the first. New details On Wednesday, plans to fight the bird flu and ease egg costs.
Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins said that with a focus on strengthening farm biosecurity, the USDA will invest another $1 billion in addition to the roughly $2 billion it has spent fighting avian flu since the outbreak in 2022.
The officials had It suggested a plan Early this month.
It is not clear how much farmers can do to keep the virus out.
Egg and chicken farmers have already worked to protect birds since the 2015 bird flu outbreak, requiring workers to change clothes and showers before entering the barn, using separate tools, and taking measures such as disinfecting vehicles entering the farm.
The challenge is that the virus can easily spread by wild birds as it moves past farms.
And the main reasons why egg prices have skyrocketed Record an average of $4.95 More than 166 million birds were slaughtered this month to limit the spread of the virus after cases were found.
Last month was not the case for egg farmers whose eggs were massacred by chickens selling nearly 19 million eggs.
Egg prices will be even worse this year
USDA is predicting now The price of this egg will rise at least 41% on top of the already record price.
Last month, the increase was projected to be 20%.
And the average price hides how bad the situation is, with consumers paying more than a dollar egg in some places.
The situation is hurting consumers, prompting restaurants such as Denny and Waffle House to add additional fees to egg dishes.
Egg prices more than doubled before the outbreak began cost consumers at least $1.4 billion last year. Estimates made by an agricultural economist at the University of Arkansas.
Egg prices usually rise each spring, heading towards Easter when demand is high.
When will the Trump plan cut prices?
Rollins admitted it takes time for consumers to see the effects at the checkout counter.
After all, it takes several months for an infected farm to dispose of the body, sanitize the farm and raise new birds.
However, she expressed optimism that this would help with prices.
“It's going to take some time to get through. I think next month or two, and I think it's by summer, if possible,” Rollins said.
Will Doge Layoffs affect the fight against bird flu?
Rollins said he believes the USDA has the staff they need to deal with the avian flu even after all Reduce federal workforce Elon Musk's direction of government efficiency.
“Are there any resources I need to deal with the plans I laid out? We are sure we will do so,” she said. “We will reorganize and evaluate where USDA spends money and where employees spend their time.”
Where will the money go?
The plan calls for $500 million in investments to support biosecurity measures, $400 million in additional aid for affected farmers, $100 million, and additional aid for farmers potentially exploring what management sees as suppressing animal welfare regulations in some states.
It's not clear what additional aid is for as the USDA has already paid farmers for the birds they have to slaughter for the virus, as it's not clear that about $1.2 billion has paid them.
The administration is also in talks to import around 70 million to 100 million eggs from other countries over the coming months, Rollins said.
However, with 7.57 billion table eggs produced last month, it is unlikely that these imports will make a big difference to the market.
Trump administration officials have suggested that it may help reduce the number of birds that must be massacred when a vaccine comes out.
However, the vaccine has not been approved and the industry says the current prototype is not practical as each bird needs a separate shot.
Additionally, vaccinated birds can put exports at risk.
The National Turkish Federation said the plans outlined by Rollins should help stabilize the market, but the trade group encouraged the USDA to pay attention not only to egg producers but all eggs and poultry farmers.
