US: Holiday demand and HPAI add to volatile egg market

Published 2024년 12월 9일

Tridge summary

The egg industry is experiencing price fluctuations due to the spread of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) from wild birds, with the majority of outbreaks affecting cage-free flocks, which make up 40% of the total US egg supply. The loss of laying hens due to HPAI in 2024 has been significantly lower than in 2022, but has still contributed to tighter supplies and record high egg prices. Additional factors contributing to the high and fluctuating prices include forced molting, changes in seasonal demand patterns, and retail featuring of eggs. Despite the loss of 2.3% of the total table egg laying flock, production in October was down by 4.2% from the previous year, with retail supply and price variations largely due to factors other than HPAI.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The egg industry has been on edge as HPAI mainly is spread by migrating wild birds, with the Mississippi Flyway crossing the Midwest egg producing region. But HPAI has yet to be detected in Midwest commercial table egg laying flocks this fall. The US Department of Agriculture’s Market News branch reported the wholesale price of grade A large eggs at a high of $4.34½ to $4.48½ per dozen for the week ended Sept. 9, falling to $2.03½ to $2.19½ per dozen during the weeks ended Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, then shooting back up to $4.32½ to $4.48½ per dozen as of Nov. 8, before dropping about 25¢ per dozen by late November. The fall highs were the highest reported by the USDA since January 2023, with record highs set the week ended Dec. 30, 2022, at $5.28½ to $5.47½ per dozen. The record high egg prices in late 2022 clearly were attributed to HPAI, which resulted in the loss of about 58 million laying hens. Prices in 2022 far surpassed the highs set during the first major widespread outbreak of ...

Source: Meat+Poultry