A recent US outbreak of bird flu since early 2024 is exacting a heavy toll on poultry farms. More than 21 million egg-laying hens have been “depopulated” this year so far, after 13.2 million were culled in December, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Eggs, as a result, are a precious commodity these days.
John Berry, who manages a livestock company in Houston, reported a dramatic increase in demand for chickens as consumers grapple with the egg shortage.
“Our sales for poultry have doubled or maybe potentially tripled. I mean we’re selling 100 chickens a week or more,” Berry told AFP.
In times of egg abundance it would take two or three weeks to sell that many birds, he said.
A dozen premium eggs can now cost an eye-popping $10 in some US supermarkets, with even lower-grade ones now drawing twice their usual price of what is normally between two and three dollars.
The popular grocery store chain Trader Joe’s is limiting purchases to one dozen eggs of any kind per household per day, and Costco is also limiting purchases.
Waffle House restaurants have slapped a 50-cent surcharge on each egg in a dish to compensate for higher costs.
Last week in Seattle, a restaurant was robbed of 500 eggs from its storeroom in the middle of the night.
‘ I have a large family’
