American Egg Board Comments on Egg Prices

All quotes attributed to Emily Metz, president and CEO, American Egg Board.

"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.¹

Access American Egg Board Manufacturer Resources.

"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. 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.

"While there is no instant solution for the devastating loss of 130 million egg-laying hens, positive impacts of USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins' five-pronged response to HPAI are underway.² In January, USDA reported a 91% increase of shell eggs from Mexico and Turkey, or more than 827,000 dozen, which is expected to help ease the supply strain on the egg products and further processed markets, as those eggs flow to egg processing companies here in the US.³ We are hopeful that other elements of the plan—including vaccination strategies and enhanced biosecurity measures—will provide longer-term relief for farmers and consumers.

"We appreciate the momentum of the USDA's new plan and the administration's support of egg farmers, and we thank all Americans for their patience as our industry works through this challenging time."

1 https://www.urnerbarry.com/history/4850
2 USDA Invests Up to $1 Billion to Combat Avian Bird Flu and Reduce Egg Prices
3 USDA Egg Markets Overview, March 2025