U.S. Egg Shortage and Price Hike—Improving Or Just False Hope?

As of March 20, 2025, the USA grapples with a major egg scarcity, resulting in hovering costs nationwide.

The disaster, primarily pushed by a extreme avian influenza outbreak, has resulted within the culling of hundreds of thousands of egg-laying hens, drastically decreasing egg provides.

Egg Worth Now and Shopper Affect

The typical worth for a dozen Grade A big eggs has surged unprecedentedly.

Trading Economics, says costs have reached $8.16 per dozen as of March 2025, a stark improve from earlier months.

This escalation has strained family budgets, main shoppers to hunt options or cut back egg consumption.

Affect on the Meals Business

The meals service sector has been notably affected, based on Food & Wine.

Eating places and bakeries, closely reliant on eggs, face elevated operational prices.

Institutions like Zingerman’s Bakehouse have chosen to take care of conventional recipes with out substitutes, absorbing increased prices.

Conversely, chains corresponding to Waffle Home and Denny’s have applied surcharges on egg dishes, although this technique has led to a decline in buyer visits.

Authorities and Business Responses

In response to the disaster, the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a $1 billion initiative to stabilize the egg provide and curb escalating costs.

This plan contains:

Elevated egg imports
Enhanced biosecurity measures
Monetary reduction for affected farmers
Potential vaccination packages to fight avian influenza.

USA Now Asking for Assist

To mitigate the scarcity, the USA has sought help from European nations, requesting elevated egg exports to the U.S. market.

This worldwide collaboration goals to alleviate provide constraints and relieve shoppers dealing with excessive costs.

The US has sought to bolster its home provide by importing eggs from European nations, together with Denmark.

The U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) contacted these nations to inquire in regards to the quantity of eggs they might export to the U.S. market.

Nevertheless, these efforts have encountered vital challenges.

European nations are additionally grappling with egg shortages on account of growing consumption and the impression of chicken flu.

As an example, Denmark’s egg affiliation indicated that Europe faces related provide constraints, limiting its capability to export substantial portions to the USA.

Turkey has agreed to export roughly 15,000 tons of eggs to the U.S. from February to July 2025.

Whereas these imports present some reduction, they can’t utterly resolve the scarcity.

Finland has declined to assist since there have been no export negotiations in place within the first place.

Finnish Poultry Affiliation govt director Veera Lehtilä additionally said that Finland has over 4 million laying hens. Nonetheless, even their eggs aren’t sufficient to unravel the egg scarcity concern within the US.

“Chook flu will not be solely an American concern however a critical world drawback that each nation faces. And also you want steady effort to handle and stop it.” Lehtilä added.