Reposted from: https://www.npr.org/2025/02/28/g-s1-51270/egg-prices-usda-bird-flu
Eggs have become the grocery staple that Americans can’t stop talking about: whether its fears of widespread bird flu getting worse, or the drastic increase in the cost of eggs as a result of so many chickens dying from illness or being culled because of the outbreak.
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $1 billion plan to tackle the crisis.
Three things to know:
1. Egg prices jumped more than 15% last month, and panicked buyers emptied store shelves as fears of a wider shortage loomed.
2. In its plan, the USDA said it would spend up to half a billion dollars boosting bio-safety precautions at egg farms. Another $400 million will go to speed the replacement of lost birds, although it can take six months to a year to raise a productive laying hen.
3. The plan also calls for spending $100 million to explore ways to temporarily boost the supply of imported eggs, and possibly to vaccinate domestic chickens. Vaccination efforts can pose a challenge, as it can make the exportation of chickens raised for meat more difficult.
Is it all just bird flu?
Advocacy groups like Farm Action, and a handful of Democratic lawmakers have called for a deeper investigation into whether industry concentration and practices are behind this price spike.
