What Happened to the Price of Eggs?

With egg prices starting to come back down, it poses the question: what caused them to rise so much in the first place?

There are many factors, including inflation, antitrust investigations, and, most importantly, the bird flu.

First, the Avian bird flu was first detected in 1878 in Italy. Although they did not know exactly what it was at the time, they knew it raised the rate of mortality with their poultry. 

In the 1900s, facts about this mysterious illness became better known. In 1955, it was classified as type-A influenza virus. The last major outbreak in the US occurred in 1984 and led to an 83% rise in egg prices.

But egg prices may have risen because of another important factor. Antitrust investigations led by the Department of Justice are rumored to have been a factor in the recent uptick.

Inflation has also affected egg prices. The cost of transportation for the importation and exportation of eggs has gone up, in addition to the price of feed for chickens. This has caused egg suppliers to pass that cost onto the consumer. At its inflationary peak, a dozen eggs could cost up to $10 for a dozen. They now cost, on average, around $6.

The reason why these prices have come down is largely due to consumers using substitutes for eggs or cutting down on egg consumption altogether. If demand stays low, the chickens should be able to replenish enough eggs for prices to return to normal. 

The Trump administration also deserves credit for investing $1,000,000,000 to end the Avian flu crisis. Trump addressed this in an interview, saying, “we got it down.”

In conclusion, the price of eggs rose for many factors such as inflation, antitrust investigations, and the Avian bird flu. However, prices are starting to come down.