(SRN NEWS/AP/97.5 GLORY FM) – Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight, given the surge in demand and shortages as Easter approaches but Georgia layers are continuing to produce, according to the Gainesville-based Georgia Poultry Federation.
The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year.
Shoppers in some parts of the country are already paying more than double the average price, or worse, finding empty shelves in their local grocery stores. Organic and cage-free varieties are even more expensive.
Some grocery stores have even limited how many eggs shoppers can buy.
The bird flu outbreak that started in 2022 is the main reason egg prices are up so much.
“Right now, we’re doing more sampling and more surveillance just to ensure that the virus has been contained,” Georgia Poultry Federation president Mike Giles told WABE recently following the first outbreak of bird flu in a commercial poultry flock in Georgia a few weeks ago.
And Giles said despite the two avian flu cases, the state is still producing.
“We’re still producing poultry. We’re still producing eggs. And the overall production output from the state really is unchanged.”
Click here to read WABE’s full report, which also looks at how the increasing cost of eggs is affecting some Georgia businesses: Rising cost of eggs is hitting Georgia small businesses – WABE