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AMERICAN EGG BOARD CEO ISSUES STATEMENT EXPLAINING HIGH PRICES
Mar. 13, 2025
by Kristin Bakker, Digital Content Specialist, Feedstuffs magazine
With so much national attention on rising egg prices and shortages at retail stores this year, the industry has been under the microscope. Some stores put limits on how many packages of eggs customers could buy at a time, and many restaurant companies with egg-focused menu items announced a surcharge for diners ordering those items. The government will reportedly open an antitrust investigation into whether egg companies are conspiring to inflate prices or limit supplies.
In reaction to the ongoing attention, Emily Metz, president and chief executive officer of the American Egg Board (AEB), which supports America's egg farmers through research, education and promotion programs for U.S. eggs, issued the following statement:
"America's egg farmers know how important available and affordable eggs are to our customers and everyone who counts on eggs daily. The disruption to our nation's egg supply and the resulting price volatility we're all experiencing are due to the ongoing impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also called HPAI or bird flu, which is now in its fourth year.
"While it's going to take a sustained period with no additional HPAI detections on egg farms to stabilize supply, there is some good news. Demand, while remaining steady, has moderated, as it always does in the weeks before the Easter buying season begins. Consequently, egg prices have started coming down on the wholesale market - dropping by almost 22% in the past two weeks," Metz said, citing Urner Barry data.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also shared news about the recent softening in egg prices, telling reporters Tuesday that the average cost for a dozen eggs has come down about $1.85 since the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its strategy to address the HPAI situation in late February.
"It is important to remember that supply and demand continue to drive wholesale prices for eggs, and as the Easter holiday approaches, increasing demand may cause a second, temporary increase in prices," Metz said in the AEB statement. "In addition, egg farmers are closely watching spring migration of wild birds, recognizing that wild birds are a leading cause of the spread of this virus and pose a great and ongoing threat to egg-laying flocks."
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