In early January, on the journey of Ozk, MO’s Walmart, Laura Model was surprised to see buyers “standing around and shouting” in the grocery’s dairy section. When she was approaching, she saw the shelf, where the egg cartons were usually piles, was almost empty.
“All the normal size of the eggs of the eggs were practically finished,” Ms Modarell said. “I’ve heard that some old people are really upset.”
Across the country, buyers in grocery stores have to face empty shelves and higher prices, which have traditionally been a cheap source of protein: eggs.
And it is likely to be bad.
Prices of unstable eggs prices partially due to inflation of grocery shopping experience, but also due to acen influenza, or bird flu, which turned to the United States in 2022. Influenza due to the H5N1 virus, is, affected or killed 136 million birds Away like this
But the outbreak has recently intensified. To prevent the spread of the disease, more than 30 million chickens in the past three months-which are about 10 percent of the country’s egg-laying population. It may take months before the supply of egg laying chickens, which returns to a normal level of about 318 million, which is equal to a chicken per person.
“This is the most destructive wave of birds’ flu spread,” said Karen Raspoli, an Expana egg managing editor, a firm that collects and tracks the egg price. We have seen since. ” “And this time the retail sector around the fields has had an irreversible effect, and there is a bigger, difference.”
In the number of egg -laying chickens, the drop of eggs increases rapidly. According to Expana, grocery stores and restaurants are now paying about $ 7 $ 7 for a dozen eggs – a record level, which is more than 25 2.25 in the last fall.
Although consumers have seen high prices in egg prices – the cost of eggs for consumers is 37 % higher than a year ago – they have not yet felt the full effect of this decline. Grocery stores usually pay prices as “loss leaders” such as milk and eggs, which means they are sold at a lower price than wholesale price to attract customers to the store.
Karen Melta, a spokesman for the supermarket co -operative Wicker, who is a supermarket -owned by retailers, whose stores include shopperite and Gourmet garage, said in an e -mail statement that Grossry has tried to maintain prices on eggs, but This is a difficult thing, especially given, especially given, especially given, especially given. Uncertainty as a result of market volatility and continuous outbreak.
Across the country, buyers are looking for empty shelves or limits that they can buy in which they can buy cartoons. This can cause panic and can cause buyers to store eggs with the fear that they may not be able to find anyone later.
Before Thanksgiving, Counterspace owner Sarah Joy Hayes, Baton Roose, a bakery in La, He said he was paying less than $ 2 for a dozen eggs, which needed chocolate chip cookies, coach and other items. But then prices began to climb fast. After referring to the price of 7 7.86 for a dozen eggs for a dozen eggs, he entered his car and went to the nearest seam club, where he bought eggs in a dozen 86 3.86.
“I am limited in the Sam club how many eggs I can buy, so I have to make many visits,” said Ms Hess. “But it feels like theft of a contract right now, so I will do it.”
During the presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump accused the Biden administration of inflation and promised to reduce prices for consumers. The spread of bird flu will make this covenant more difficult. This week, lobbying arm for egg producers United Egg producers called on the Congress and the new Trump administration to move forward to form a national strategy to fight the bird flu, which faster at the state and the federal level. Includes more funds and capacity development and development for testing. Vaccines.
At the hearing of this confirmation on Thursday, Brock Rollins, who is president Trump’s nominee for the Secretary of Agriculture told Senators that one of his top priorities was “to get a handle immediately and comprehensively on the outbreak of animal diseases,” though they do not provide details.
The egg manufacture fields, the The Solution, can not be able to find a solution to the virus soon.
Tracy and Jason Ramsidel, who have chicken operation in rural South Dakota and California, have spread bird flu epidemic, recently in December, resulting in 40,000 pastures in California, loss of free -range chickens Has happened Although the federal government pays compensation for birds that have to be destroyed, Ms. Ramsadel said that the form will still suffer a loss of “tens of thousands” dollars, and re -settled with the chickens and again. It will take at least six months to start. Business
“Anyone should be afraid of the animal industry right now,” said Ms. Ramadel. “Unless we come together collectively and what is happening, there are no concrete, concrete answers, I don’t think it is going to stop.”
Federal health officials are closely watching the latest tension of AV influenza, which is deadly for chickens and also found in livestock, which is usually recovered from the flu with the treatment.
Currently, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Saying is a danger It is low for humans, and that milk products are safe to use. There are also eggs Safe to eatAs long as they are cooked at appropriate temperatures to kill bacteria and viruses, but cost Analysts have warned that the difference in high climbing and store shelf is likely to increase.
“It may take six months to strengthen the market,” said Brian Moscowgori, vice president of New Jersey wholesale eggs. We need to see the spread of the AV influenza stop. We need a period when the fields are not affecting and they can resettle their chickens and we need to see that the demand begins to decrease.
In addition to affecting the baby’s chickens, the virus has also hit fields that collect girls to sell eggs. For farms that eliminate the chickens affected by the virus, they will have to wait more to resettle their operations.
“If you give orders for girls today, you can’t get them until April or October 2026,” said Ms Raspoli.
All kinds of chickens are sensitive to the H5N1 virus. Cases have been reported in Turkish works, and food industry analysts are now closely monitoring the first reports of spreading broiler chickens, for the production of meat in Georgia, the largest poultry producing state in the country. Born
Georgia’s Department of Agriculture Department of Communications Matthew Egont said the spread of two fields near each other in northern Georgia was confirmed in mid -January, resulting in the loss of about 175,000 poultry.
But in order to overcome this spread, the state ordered a quarantine zone of 6.2 miles around the two fields, limiting the capacity of 120 more poultry forms within the zone so that the processors without special approval Provide chicken.
Egg producers are raising their calls to the lawmakers to develop vaccine and manage the vaccine in the country’s poultry and birds population.
But even a vaccine does not end it “Continues,” said Chad Hart, a professor of economics at Iowa State University. In addition to the uncertain cost of vaccinating more than 300 million birds, Avian influenza is constantly changing, which means a new vaccine -produced stress can be lost. Really, in the beginning of January, America Department of Agriculture He said that no vaccine available in the market is similar to the current wireless stress found in the recent outbreak.
Mr Hart said that vaccinating all birds in the United States could damage poultry exports. The United States exports about $ 5.5 billion every year to poultry meat.
“There are different standards in different countries that are used when the vaccine is talked about,” Mr Hart said. “The vaccine has been used in the past years as a reason for preventing imports and exports from different countries.”
