Retail egg prices are expected to increase 41.1 percent this year continuing to experience volatile month-to-month changes due to the outbreak of bird flu that began two years ago. That’s more than double what the agency predicted just a month ago.
Egg prices increased by 13.8 percent in January after rising by 8.4 percent in December.
Bird flu contributes to higher prices by reducing egg-layer flocks and egg production. About 18.8 million commercial egg layers were affected by the virus in January, the highest monthly total since the outbreak began in 2022.
Prices in January were 53.0 percent higher than in January 2024 and surpassed the previous peak prices in January 2023.