Don't Look for Cheap Eggs Anytime Soon

Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing US egg prices to more than double their cost in summer 2023. As the AP reports, it appears there may be no relief in sight, given the coming Easter demand. The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That's not quite the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the USDA predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year. "It's just robbery," says Minneapolis resident Sage Mills. "Eggs used to be kind of a staple ... (but now) you might as well just go out to eat." A look:

• What's driving prices? In two words, bird flu. More than 145 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds have been slaughtered. Cage-free egg laws in 10 states that set minimum space for chickens may also be responsible for some supply disruptions and price increases.

• Why is the virus so hard to control? Bird flu is primarily spread by wild birds such as ducks and geese as they migrate. It's also easily tracked into a farm on someone's boots or vehicle. The virus found a new host in dairy cattle last March, creating more opportunities for it to linger and spread. More than five dozen people have also become ill with bird flu and one died.
• What's being done? Many poultry farms installed truck washes to disinfect vehicles and require workers to shower and change clothes before stepping inside a barn. Some farmers have even invested in lasers that shoot beams of green light to discourage wild ducks and geese from landing. Cooking meat to 165 degrees kills bird flu, and pasteurization kills it in milk.
• How much has the outbreak cost? It's impossible to know how much farmers have spent to seal barns, build shower houses, or adopt other biosecurity measures. "Over the last five years, my small farm alone has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on biosecurity," says Minnesota turkey farmer Loren Brey. The USDA has spent at least $1.14 billion compensating farmers for the birds they've had to kill. A USDA rep said the department also spent more than $576 million on its own response.

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