Agrilife Extension Economist Dr. David Anderson says it’s supply and demand. He says while egg supplies are still below year-ago levels, they continue to rise while purchases decline. That’s helping to drive prices down.
He says some of the demand issues are seasonal. Demand typically dips after Easter and then climbs again around Thanksgiving, but he says higher prices are also part of it.
Egg prices peaked around $4.82 a dozen nationally in January. The AG Department says in late April we were at $2.74 per dozen, and this week prices are expected to be around $1.08.
Anderson expects the cost will continue to decline because wholesale prices are already down to 84 cents per dozen.
The high prices we experienced were mostly because the egg-laying flock was hit hard by the bird flu outbreak beginning in February 2022. Nearly 59-million birds, including 43 million laying hens, were lost in 47 states. Historic production costs also contributed to the sky-high egg prices at the grocery stores.
