Egg Prices Won't Be Getting Better Anytime Soon

Food inflation is continuing to wreak havoc on grocery shoppers. In fact, according to USA Today, some especially frugal people have even begun taking an interest in eating foods beyond the expiration date, since they don't want to be wasteful of food that may have been sitting in the cupboard.

In October, PBS reported that supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in elevated food prices. As a result, energy costs to produce food on farms went up, as well as transportation to get food from farms to stores. Wheat and grain production was also disrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Overall, grocery prices reportedly went up 13.5% over the past year, and everything from wheat to dairy to meat costs a little more these days.

If you've been to the grocery store recently, you may have noticed the gradual increase in the cost of a dozen eggs. While eggs have been affected by other production-related inflation, there is one specific factor that may have driven costs up even more for this particular product: avian flu.

Part of the reason that eggs are so expensive is that there is a lower supply available at the moment, according to CNN. Avian flu, an outbreak of which was found in the United States around February, took out poultry flocks throughout the year, targeting egg-laying hens in particular. Farmers were forced to cull their flocks due to the illness, which resulted in fewer eggs being laid. Additionally, for the surviving birds, feed has gone up in price, causing farmers to spend more on taking care of the hens, despite the smaller flock sizes.

CNN reports that egg prices have gone up roughly 49% over the course of the year, and it doesn't look like that growth will be slowing down any time soon. The price of eggs is currently at an all-time high — Midwest large eggs cost around $5.46 per dozen now, while they cost only $1.70 at this time last year. That's more than a 220% increase! Though the egg supply may have diminished, demand has not wavered, so customers may find themselves stretching their wallets a little more to enjoy their scrambled eggs in the mornings.