Bird flu drives US egg prices to record highs before Christmas

By Leah Douglas and Tom Polansek (Reuters) - U.S. wholesale egg prices are hitting record highs as an accelerating outbreak of bird flu in laying hens reduces supplies while consumers buy more to make Christmas cookies and other holiday treats. The increases are hurting consumers already battling stubborn inflation and bracing for potentially higher prices on a wide range of items if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with plans to impose tariffs on goods from China and Mexico. Wholesale prices for large eggs reached $5.57 a dozen in the Midwest on Wednesday, up 150% from a year ago and surpassing the previous record of $5.46 set in December 2022, commodities data firm Expana said. The prices are even harder to bear in California, where supplies are more constrained by rules that ban farmers from raising hens in cages. There, eggs hit a record $8.85 a dozen, Expana said. These high prices are a boon for producers who have managed to avoid outbreaks of bird flu and are ...