Ten-dollar eggs at a grocery store in Missouri. Empty store shelves where eggs used to be. Families across the country are facing this reality; meanwhile, though less talked about, dominant egg firms are raking in egregious profits. It doesn’t have to be this way.
There is a solution, and it’s now in the hands of President Donald Trump—who campaigned on lowering prices—to do something about it. The federal government can provide relief by investigating the dominant egg firms’ practices and prosecuting any violations of antitrust law. The Biden administration failed to do this over the last three years, and the longer it takes for the government to act, the more consumers will be squeezed by these corporations. The American people are waiting for President Trump to make good on that campaign trail promise, and a new CBS poll showed that 66% of the country feels he is not focusing on it enough.
Avian Flu's Impact
Avian flu has been blamed for skyrocketing egg prices, and there is no doubt that the epidemic is having an impact, yet evidence suggests it is also being used as an excuse by dominant egg firms to excessively raise prices and keep them high. Avian flu’s overall impact on production has been minimal: The national egg-laying flock size was just over 5% smaller in each month of 2024 than it was in 2021 prior to the outbreak. For Cal-Maine Foods—the nation’s largest egg producer—egg production has actually remained stable over the last three years, and the national production of eggs has not dipped below per capita consumption between 2021 and now.
Meanwhile, Cal-Maine, which controls 20% of the egg market, increased its gross profits by 237% within the last three fiscal years. Cal-Maine has actually made more money in a single quarter than they made in an entire year prior to the 2022 avian flu outbreak. Concerningly, Cal-Maine and other dominant firms have been using their increased profits to buy up smaller firms to further eliminate competition. On top of this rampant consolidation, it has become increasingly more challenging for new competitors to enter the egg industry. There are now just two private European companies controlling an estimated 90% of the egg-laying hen market in the U.S. and globally, which makes it harder for new producers to access egg-laying hens to compete with the dominant firms. These damning revelations come from just the information available to the public, and that’s why the government needs to wield its power to dig further.
How the Federal Government Can Intervene
Recently appointed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins rolled out measures to address bird flu, none of which addressed the consolidation of the industry that makes our food supply vulnerable. Instead, her plans used avian flu as an excuse to wipe out humane animal treatment standards that create healthier environments for laying hens.
Officials at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have the power to launch investigations into the egg industry and provide relief for American consumers and smaller egg producers. Specifically, by using its investigative powers granted under the FTC Act, the FTC could obtain more information on the pricing and production practices of dominant egg producers and their suppliers to get to the root of this issue. The DOJ could launch an antitrust investigation for its part and prosecute any violations.
Farm Action has been calling for an investigation into egg prices since the last administration. It’s long overdue. The damaging impact of monopolies running rampant in our food system spans far beyond egg prices, but it’s a pressing place to start.
Written and edited by: Emma Nicolas, Angela Huffman, Joe Maxwell, Jessica Cusworth, and Christian Lovell.
