- Experts say multiple factors can lead to increased egg prices, such as feed price, demand, and the bird flu outbreak.
- They say the average cost of a dozen eggs is $2.99, which is about 50% higher than it was before the bird flu outbreak.
- Video shows local experts detailing the factors that led to the high prices as we head into Easter weekend.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It's Easter weekend, which means you may be buying eggs to color for the holiday, baking, or cooking. But, higher prices in stores around our neighborhoods might make that difficult for some of our neighbors.
"Egg prices have been through kind of a wild ride," David Ortega said.
David Ortega is an Associate Agriculture Professor at Michigan State. He says the prices we're seeing now are the combination of a few factors like feed prices.
"It can make up a producer's significant cost of raising those birds," he said. "Anywhere between 60 and 70 percent of the cost of raising birds."
But, the big factor in costs today, he says, is the Bird Flu.
"It is now the largest outbreak in U.S. history," Ortega said. "That's partly what led to that significant rise about a year ago, and why we're starting to see prices rise again."
Ortega says the average cost of a dozen eggs is $2.99, about 30% lower than the cost during last year's spike, but around 50% higher than before the outbreak.
"The number of eggs that are available on the market, it's coming back," Nancy Barr said.
Nancy Barr from the Michigan Allied Poultry Industries says while costs are high, more palatable prices could return as the industry recovers.
"There's a lot of investment that goes into building back after a very dramatic impact like that," Barr said. "It can take an egg farm six months to a year to come back into full production after that."
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