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Egg production in the US fell 4% in November as the price of eggs and the number of bird flu cases continue to rise across the country, according to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service announced that egg production totaled 8.92 billion in November, a 4% decrease over the same period last year.
Of the 8.92 billion eggs produced, 7.68 billion are table eggs and 1.24 billion are hatching eggs, the key difference being that table eggs are unfertilized and cannot become chicks.
Also, in November there were 376 million eggs for layers, which is 3% less compared to last year, and for every 100 layers, an average of 2,374 eggs were produced.
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In this picture you can see test tubes with the inscription “Bird flu” and eggs. (Reuters/Dado Ruvić/Reuters photos)
Since November, the number of layers has dropped even more, with the USDA reporting a total of 375 million layers on December 1, 2024, a 3% decrease from last year.
The news comes as egg prices rise, a trend experts say will continue until 2025 if highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as “bird flu,” continues.
Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Sector Manager Kevin Bergquist said egg prices are elevated from 2023 due to a combination of seasonal price increases during the holidays and egg supply disruptions due to bird flu.
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Modern chicken farm for raising white chickens and eggs, multi-level conveyor belt, indoor, copy space, poultry farming (iStock / iStock)
Prices over the past year have “generally” remained above 2023 prices and even “often exceed 2022 egg prices, when HPAI really captured the egg market,” according to Bergquist.
Wholesale egg prices, which jumped nearly 55% in November, do not necessarily reflect consumer eggs store prices, which can vary greatly.
According to the Consumer Price Index, food prices rose 0.5% in November, with four of the six major grocery groups gaining in price. Eggs showed the biggest increase by a large margin.
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In the hands of a woman packing eggs in a supermarket (iStock / iStock)
The prices of meat, poultry and fish increased in November by 1.7 percent, while the prices of eggs increased by 8.2 percent.
Before the big bird flu epidemic in March 2022, flock numbers were at a level that supported lower egg prices, according to Bergquist. He noted that the wholesale price was less than $1.50 per dozen.
However, the outbreak disrupted the market, leading to record egg prices in December 2022. The average price corrected to a lower level by 2023 as producers rebuilt their flocks.
Bergquist said flock sizes were reduced again when bird flu re-emerged in late 2023 and 2024, resulting in an undersupply of eggs to the market.
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Producers have still not been able to rebuild the total egg-laying flock due to repeated outbreaks this year.
FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
