Bird flu fears are driving up egg prices again.
After receding for most of 2023, the recent resurgence of bird flu in poultry facilities in the US, Japan and other states has sent egg prices soaring again.
The virus, commonly referred to as bird flu, is highly contagious and deadly among birds, and has been detected in dairy herds in recent days.
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“The reason for the big increase in egg prices is that bird flu is hitting egg farms and killing chickens, reducing egg production,” said David Anderson, a professor and economist in Texas A&M University’s Department of Agricultural Economics.
The situation in the US
In the US, more than 14 million egg-producing chickens died in November and December as a result of bird flu. Over the past 30 days, more than 8 million birds in the US remain infected, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.
Two weeks ago, Cal-Maine Foods – the largest producer of chicken eggs in the US – temporarily halted production and confined more than a million flocks at one of its facilities following an outbreak of bird flu.
“Many countries and regions globally, such as the US, the EU, Russia, South Africa, India and Nigeria, are experiencing historically high price levels,” Nan-Dirk Mulder, a senior analyst at the bank, told CNBC via email. of Rabobank agribusiness.
A dozen large grade A eggs now cost $2.41 in the US, up 10% since the start of the year.
The other countries
Japan is the second largest consumer of eggs per capita, and eggs are an important component of Japanese cuisine. The country saw prices for medium-sized eggs climb more than 20 percent from 179 yen ($1.16) per kilogram at the start of the year to around 218 yen per kilogram on April 17.
From Mexico to Norway to Indonesia, egg prices have also risen for a variety of reasons.
The unbearable heat in Mexico has caused many chickens to die of heatstroke, local media reported.
Mexico, which consumes the world’s highest number of eggs per capita, saw prices there jump 30 percent to 45 pesos ($2.63) a kilo on a weekly basis because of the intense heat, a spokesman for major wholesale market Central said. de Abastos of Mexico. Mexico recently recorded the hottest temperature in its history on April 15th.
In Indonesia, the world’s second-largest egg producer, purebred chicken egg prices have also risen more than 10 percent since the start of the year, according to data from the country’s National Food Agency.
As a result, consumers around the world are finding new ways to cope with higher egg prices.
