(TheRedAlertNews.com) – Bird flu is wreaking havoc on America’s egg supply, as the latest USDA report revealed a shocking 4% decline in U.S. egg production for November, with only 8.92 billion eggs produced.
The impact of this crisis is hitting American families right in the wallet. Grocery prices surged by 0.5% in November, with egg prices skyrocketing by an eye-watering 8.2%.
Yet, this is just a temporary blip—experts warned that high egg prices could persist well into 2025 if the bird flu outbreak remains unchecked.
The numbers paint a grim picture of the devastation wrought by this avian epidemic.
The number of egg-laying hens plummeted by 3% from the previous year, with only 376 million hens left by November. By December 1, 2024, that number had dwindled further to 375 million.
The egg industry is reeling from the impact of this relentless virus. Wholesale egg prices shot up by a staggering 55% in November alone.
“Prices over the past year have “generally” remained above 2023 prices and even “often exceeded egg prices from 2022, which was when HPAI really caught the egg market,” Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Sector Manager Kevin Bergquist said.
The root of the problem lies in the ongoing bird flu outbreaks, which are preventing farmers from restoring their flocks to previous levels.
This persistent threat has left the egg market chronically undersupplied, unable to meet the demands of American consumers.
The agricultural sector faces unprecedented vulnerabilities, requiring strategic responses and enhanced biosecurity measures to protect the food supply.
Back then, flock numbers supported lower egg prices, providing affordable protein for American families.
The initial outbreak led to record-high egg prices in December 2022, with a brief period of correction in 2023 as farmers struggled to rebuild their flocks.
However, the re-emergence of bird flu in late 2023 and into 2024 has dealt a severe blow to these recovery efforts.
Farmers are caught in a vicious cycle, with each new outbreak setting back their attempts to rebuild their flocks.
This ongoing battle against the virus has left the egg market perpetually under-supplied, driving up prices and leaving consumers to bear the brunt of the shortage.
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