Warning: Egg prices could skyrocket soon! Find out why and how to save on extra expenses in 2025
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Dear GrayVine readers, if you've been to the grocery store lately, you might have noticed something peculiar: the price of eggs is climbing faster than a hen escaping the coop! And it's not just a slight increase; we're talking about a price surge that could scramble any budget.
So, what's behind this egg-sponential rise, and more importantly, how can you protect your wallet from getting fried in 2025? Let's crack into the details.
In some parts of Massachusetts, shoppers at Market Basket locations are experiencing sticker shock, with egg prices more than doubling from the once-familiar $2 for a dozen.
Social media is abuzz with consumers voicing their disbelief as they face egg restrictions and shortages, with some stores limiting purchases to two cartons per family.
The situation is similar in Las Vegas, where egg hunters are finding shelves picked clean. For those still reeling from the high cost of living, this means egg prices are predicted to soar even higher in 2025.
At the heart of many American breakfasts, diners like Montague in Brooklyn, New York, are feeling the pinch.
Kip Green, the co-owner and general manager, shared with CBS News that eggs make up 40% to 50% of their menu.
Despite the cost pressures, Green and her team are committed to keeping their customers from bearing the brunt of the price hikes, finding ways to cut costs elsewhere to maintain their beloved egg dishes.
"I think eggs have felt relatively extreme over the past few months," Kip Green, co-owner and general manager of Montague Diner in Brooklyn, New York, told CBS News. "We're fortunate though, we have a great relationships with our purveyors, with farmers. So everybody is trying to help each other out, which is lovely."
The Numbers Behind the Nest
In December 2024, the average price for a dozen large, grade-A eggs was $4.15, a 14% jump from November's $3.65, and a staggering 60% increase from the previous year's $2.51.
If we look back to 2019, the increase is even more dramatic—a 160% rise from the $1.41 price tag.
While the overall monthly inflation rate for food in December was 2.5%, with the cost of food at home rising by just 0.3%, egg prices have fluffed up like a well-whipped meringue.
The USDA forecasts an additional 20% increase in egg prices this year, leaving consumers and businesses alike wondering when relief will come.
The Culprits: Avian Flu and Supply Chain Woes
The primary villain in this story is the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1, which has been wreaking havoc since 2022. This virus has not only led to the death of 13.2 million commercial egg-laying hens but also poses a potential public health threat.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping a watchful eye, as the virus has already hospitalized one person with severe illness which lead to death.
"For about a year and a half now, the sort of frequency and severity of avian flu outbreaks in the poultry and egg supply chains in the US have sort of just been on the rise in a big way," Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, shared with the team at CBS MoneyWatch. "Everyone is just sort of hoping that, 'OK, this will be the last one, then we'll get back to normal.' But we keep on not getting back to normal."
The impact on the supply chain is twofold. First, when H5N1 is detected on a farm, the entire flock must be culled, leading to immediate supply shortages.
More than 79.3 million chickens have died in 2022 and 2023 in the US alone, as a result of the H5N1 infection and needed culling, as per a January report from TD Cowen. It has led to a total of 139 million bird deaths in the country.
Second, a persistent shortage of truck drivers in the US exacerbates the problem, as fewer drivers mean higher shipping costs and delays in getting eggs to retailers.
"Refrigerated truck transportation is a major pain point in the food supply chain right now. There's a shortage of drivers, long-haul truck rates are up and eggs are of course very transportation-intensive," Volpe stated. "Even before we were dealing with avian flu, the trucks just weren't there to deliver eggs in a timely fashion."
Local Solutions and Market Dynamics
One silver lining is that egg supplies can be replenished relatively quickly, as it takes less than six weeks for a broiler to mature and even less for a hen to start laying eggs regularly.
To mitigate the supply chain issues, experts like Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness, suggest that retailers source eggs locally whenever possible.
Interestingly, some grocery stores are using low egg prices as a loss leader to attract customers, banking on them to fill their carts with other items that carry normal profit margins.
"You can go on social media and you'll see someone complaining about an $8 dozen of eggs and then someone else will chime in and go 'I just got it for $4.' Well, I absolutely guarantee you that was sold at a loss, and it was sort of a competitive effort to increase foot traffic," Volpe said. "Maybe eggs are sold at a loss, but now you're going to buy your milk and your bread and vegetables, everything else, and those will have the normal profit margins."
This means that while you might snag a bargain on eggs, your overall grocery bill could remain the same.
The Political Omelette
"There is a lot of reporting out there that is putting the onus on this White House for the increased cost of eggs," stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, when she was asked at her first press briefing on Tuesday what President Trump is doing to address egg prices which have spiked since he took office earlier this month.
"As far as the egg shortage, what's also contributing to that is that the Biden admin and Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of 100 million chickens," Leavitt, who made no mention of avian flu, said in her response.
The current administration is urging the Senate to confirm Cabinet nominees who can address the egg crisis, including the nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture.
Cracking the Savings Code
So, how can you keep your breakfast budget from cracking under the pressure of rising egg prices? Here are a few tips:
1. Shop around: Compare prices at different stores, and don't be afraid to take advantage of loss leaders.
2. Buy in bulk: If you have the storage space, buying larger quantities can sometimes lead to savings.
3. Consider alternatives: Explore using egg substitutes in recipes or reducing egg consumption.
Source: News Nation / Youtube.
4. Support local: Purchasing from local farmers can sometimes offer better prices and fresher eggs.
5. Stay informed: Keep an eye on news and updates regarding the avian flu situation and any potential impacts on egg prices.
Also read: The surprising state where egg prices will reach $10–will your state be next?
Have you noticed the rise in egg prices in your area? What are your tips for dealing with the increase? Share your thoughts and join the conversation below!
So, what's behind this egg-sponential rise, and more importantly, how can you protect your wallet from getting fried in 2025? Let's crack into the details.
In some parts of Massachusetts, shoppers at Market Basket locations are experiencing sticker shock, with egg prices more than doubling from the once-familiar $2 for a dozen.
Social media is abuzz with consumers voicing their disbelief as they face egg restrictions and shortages, with some stores limiting purchases to two cartons per family.
The situation is similar in Las Vegas, where egg hunters are finding shelves picked clean. For those still reeling from the high cost of living, this means egg prices are predicted to soar even higher in 2025.
At the heart of many American breakfasts, diners like Montague in Brooklyn, New York, are feeling the pinch.
Egg prices have soared due to a deadly strain of avian flu affecting the poultry industry and are predicted to rise even more in 2025. Image source: Erika Varga / Pixabay.
Kip Green, the co-owner and general manager, shared with CBS News that eggs make up 40% to 50% of their menu.
Despite the cost pressures, Green and her team are committed to keeping their customers from bearing the brunt of the price hikes, finding ways to cut costs elsewhere to maintain their beloved egg dishes.
"I think eggs have felt relatively extreme over the past few months," Kip Green, co-owner and general manager of Montague Diner in Brooklyn, New York, told CBS News. "We're fortunate though, we have a great relationships with our purveyors, with farmers. So everybody is trying to help each other out, which is lovely."
The Numbers Behind the Nest
In December 2024, the average price for a dozen large, grade-A eggs was $4.15, a 14% jump from November's $3.65, and a staggering 60% increase from the previous year's $2.51.
If we look back to 2019, the increase is even more dramatic—a 160% rise from the $1.41 price tag.
While the overall monthly inflation rate for food in December was 2.5%, with the cost of food at home rising by just 0.3%, egg prices have fluffed up like a well-whipped meringue.
The USDA forecasts an additional 20% increase in egg prices this year, leaving consumers and businesses alike wondering when relief will come.
The Culprits: Avian Flu and Supply Chain Woes
The primary villain in this story is the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1, which has been wreaking havoc since 2022. This virus has not only led to the death of 13.2 million commercial egg-laying hens but also poses a potential public health threat.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping a watchful eye, as the virus has already hospitalized one person with severe illness which lead to death.
"For about a year and a half now, the sort of frequency and severity of avian flu outbreaks in the poultry and egg supply chains in the US have sort of just been on the rise in a big way," Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, shared with the team at CBS MoneyWatch. "Everyone is just sort of hoping that, 'OK, this will be the last one, then we'll get back to normal.' But we keep on not getting back to normal."
The impact on the supply chain is twofold. First, when H5N1 is detected on a farm, the entire flock must be culled, leading to immediate supply shortages.
More than 79.3 million chickens have died in 2022 and 2023 in the US alone, as a result of the H5N1 infection and needed culling, as per a January report from TD Cowen. It has led to a total of 139 million bird deaths in the country.
Second, a persistent shortage of truck drivers in the US exacerbates the problem, as fewer drivers mean higher shipping costs and delays in getting eggs to retailers.
"Refrigerated truck transportation is a major pain point in the food supply chain right now. There's a shortage of drivers, long-haul truck rates are up and eggs are of course very transportation-intensive," Volpe stated. "Even before we were dealing with avian flu, the trucks just weren't there to deliver eggs in a timely fashion."
Local Solutions and Market Dynamics
One silver lining is that egg supplies can be replenished relatively quickly, as it takes less than six weeks for a broiler to mature and even less for a hen to start laying eggs regularly.
To mitigate the supply chain issues, experts like Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness, suggest that retailers source eggs locally whenever possible.
Interestingly, some grocery stores are using low egg prices as a loss leader to attract customers, banking on them to fill their carts with other items that carry normal profit margins.
"You can go on social media and you'll see someone complaining about an $8 dozen of eggs and then someone else will chime in and go 'I just got it for $4.' Well, I absolutely guarantee you that was sold at a loss, and it was sort of a competitive effort to increase foot traffic," Volpe said. "Maybe eggs are sold at a loss, but now you're going to buy your milk and your bread and vegetables, everything else, and those will have the normal profit margins."
This means that while you might snag a bargain on eggs, your overall grocery bill could remain the same.
The Political Omelette
"There is a lot of reporting out there that is putting the onus on this White House for the increased cost of eggs," stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, when she was asked at her first press briefing on Tuesday what President Trump is doing to address egg prices which have spiked since he took office earlier this month.
"As far as the egg shortage, what's also contributing to that is that the Biden admin and Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of 100 million chickens," Leavitt, who made no mention of avian flu, said in her response.
The current administration is urging the Senate to confirm Cabinet nominees who can address the egg crisis, including the nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture.
Cracking the Savings Code
So, how can you keep your breakfast budget from cracking under the pressure of rising egg prices? Here are a few tips:
1. Shop around: Compare prices at different stores, and don't be afraid to take advantage of loss leaders.
2. Buy in bulk: If you have the storage space, buying larger quantities can sometimes lead to savings.
3. Consider alternatives: Explore using egg substitutes in recipes or reducing egg consumption.
Source: News Nation / Youtube.
4. Support local: Purchasing from local farmers can sometimes offer better prices and fresher eggs.
5. Stay informed: Keep an eye on news and updates regarding the avian flu situation and any potential impacts on egg prices.
Also read: The surprising state where egg prices will reach $10–will your state be next?
Have you noticed the rise in egg prices in your area? What are your tips for dealing with the increase? Share your thoughts and join the conversation below!
