Amidst high food inflation throughout 2022, eggs have emerged as particularly costly goods at the grocery store in recent months. Egg consumption has been rising in recent years as compared to other protein sources, yet production has recently fallen due to an ongoing bird flu epidemic.
This bird, or Avian Flu, has infected 58 million birds, making it the largest outbreak of the flu in U.S. history. These birds must immediately be slaughtered once infected, which has caused the price of eggs to spike 60% in the past year alone. As of December 2022, the average price for a dozen of eggs was $4.25, up from just $1.32 in late 2020. Higher prices might remain for an extended period until the number of hens returns to its pre-flu norms.
Sources: USDA, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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