Egg prices have sky-rocketed since the spring, and depending on where you buy them, there are a number of reasons why.
Whether you get your eggs from the grocery store or a local farm, the average cost per dozen has increased since the beginning of the year.
“People are feeling it,” said Wayne Pesce, president of the CT Food Association. “Price of groceries are up.”
Back in January, a dozen large eggs cost roughly $1.50, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, average costs now hover closer to $4.20.
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For eggs you might see at the grocery store, experts say a spike in avian flu cases has been one reason for the change.
“If I lose a bunch of hens due to flu, I’m producing less eggs. That certainly has been a concern,” Pesce said.
Fewer eggs means less supply for a commodity that continues to be in demand. As a result, it’s a situation many consumers have felt at the checkout line.
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“It’s a minefield out there right now with rising costs around everything, but specifically groceries because let’s face it, every family has to come home and have dinner at night and eat,” Pesce said.
For a smaller operation like Andrews’ Farm in Wallingford, there’s a different challenge causing a price hike.
“It doesn’t affect me at all so far, mostly because of the way we raise our birds,” Andrews said.
He said his eggs are now selling for more due in part to the increased shipping cost of buying feed for his chicken.
“We had to go from $5 a dozen to $8 a dozen, and 90% of that is fuel prices,” said Jeff Andrews, owner of Andrews’ Farm.
As a whole, egg prices are near their peak, but as of Monday, the USDA reported a near 50-cent decline in cost per dozen for large eggs in the northeast, offering some optimism as the holiday season approaches.
“I do believe that in the next six months, we’ll start to see that settle back down,” Pesce said.
