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price for 1 dozen california eggs Demand continues to rise due to the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, reaching nearly $9 per dozen in some areas.
California's large-shell egg standard rose $0.78 per dozen to $8.97 per dozen due to reduced supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in last week's egg market overview.
These prices can be seen when buying eggs online at supermarkets across the state.
For example, a Chico, California, Walmart on Tuesday night listed a carton of 18 cage-free large white eggs from Great Value for $9.52, while 12 eggs of the same variety from Great Value were listed for $7.22.
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A large selection of cage-free eggs at a Costco store in Florida. (Photo by Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
At a Safeway in the same city, an 18-count carton of Lucerne Farms Egg Cage-Free Large White Eggs was listed for $12.99, but the retailer's website lists 12 for sale. There wasn't.
Albertsons, the parent company of Walmart and Safeway, did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment on egg prices.
“Demand for shell eggs registered a slight increase in the last two weeks of the year, supported by concerns about supply constraints due to persistent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in egg flocks,” USDA said. is written. “These herd losses, which occurred during a critical period of demand, pushed wholesale prices above the record levels set in December 2022 when the HAPI outbreak had a similar impact on the market.”
The FDA reported this week that U.S. egg production fell 4% in November as egg prices and bird flu outbreaks continue to rise across the country.
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This illustration shows a test tube and an egg labeled “Bird Flu.” (Reuters/Dado Luvić/Reuters Photo)
Kevin Bergquist, Wells Fargo Agriculture and Food Research Institute sector manager, said egg prices have been rising since 2023 due to a combination of seasonal price increases during the holidays and disruptions to egg supply due to avian influenza.
Prices over the past year have “generally” been higher than prices in 2023, Bergquist said, and “often exceeded egg prices in 2022 and beyond, when HPAI really took hold of the egg market.”
Wholesale egg prices, which soared nearly 55% in November, do not necessarily reflect consumers' prices for eggs at grocery stores, and prices can fluctuate widely.
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In the hands of a woman packing eggs at the supermarket (license/image)
Grocery prices rose 0.5% in November, according to the Consumer Price Index, with four of the six major grocery store food groups increasing prices. Eggs showed the largest increase by a wide margin.
Meat, poultry and fish prices rose 1.7% in November, while egg prices rose 8.2%.
Before the major bird flu outbreak in March 2022, herd numbers were at levels that supported the drop in egg prices, Bergquist said. He noted that the wholesale price was less than $1.50 per dozen.
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However, the outbreak disrupted the market, and egg prices rose to a record high in December 2022. Average prices have corrected to lower levels by 2023 as producers rebuild their flocks.
FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
