Suganya Anand, a tech executive and mother of two in Washington’s upscale Sammamish
neighborhood, has been working harder to meet her family’s protein needs.
Whereas she’d previously whip up a batch of boiled eggs without a thought, now Anand must go to great lengths to source eggs due to the ongoing egg crisis.
Large eggs in New York’s wholesale markets sold for $7.46 per dozen by the end of January, a
significant rise from $4.52 the previous year. By early February, the price rose even further to
$8.01 per dozen.
The higher prices have largely been spurred on by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
(HPAI), or bird flu that has led to a reduction in supply, as farmers look to minimize exposure to the illness by culling flocks. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported that since February 2022, the HPAI has caused a significant loss of birds, with 116.9 million egg-laying birds affected.
While the chaotic egg market has led to notable changes in consumer behavior leading those
who can afford it to shell out the extra case or turn to plant-based egg substitutes, the Trump
administration has proposed a one billion dollar relief plan alongside much political rhetoric and calls-to-action.
“Eggs are an unusual product in that there are few substitutes. For most households they have
no choice but to simply bear the cost,” says Joseph Foudy, Professor of Economics at NYU’s
Stern Business School. “But as a frequent household purchase, it has taken on an outsized
psychological significance in the minds of many consumers as a barometer of inflation”.
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