(TheConservativeTimes.org) – A recent resurgence of avian influenza, or bird flu, has increased egg prices. The Bird Flu mostly subsided last year but there have been multiple reports lately of the Bird Flu being found in dairy animals. The bird flu is typically found in feathered animals and can be highly contagious and lethal for them.
David Anderson, a professor and food economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University said “The reason for the big surge in egg prices is HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) hitting egg farms and killing chickens and cutting egg production.”
As a result of this flu, more than fourteen million egg-laying chickens died within two months, and as of now, there are still more than eight million birds infected.
As a result of all of the infections, the country’s largest chicken egg manufacturer, Cal-Maine Foods, had to stop operations due to a Bird Flu outbreak.
Nan-Dirk Mulder, a senior analyst at agribusiness bank Rabobank said, “Many countries and regions worldwide like the U.S., EU, Russia, South Africa, India, and Nigeria face historically high price levels.”
A dozen Grade A eggs in the U.S. now cost almost two dollars and fifty cents which is more than a ten percent increase since last year. In Japan, which is a large consumer of eggs, they saw over a twenty percent increase in the prices.
Many consumers have looked into ways they can prepare or cope with the higher-priced eggs. Some people even went to X saying that they are going to stock up on chicken eggs now before the prices climb any higher than this.
Experts have also said that the rise in meat prices has made egg prices rise more too, since the demand for them as a replacement or filler, has gone up immensely.
Copyright 2024, TheConservativeTimes.org
