OMAHA, Neb. – Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter tens of millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to greater than double their price in the summertime of 2023. And it seems there could also be no aid in sight, given the surge in demand as Easter approaches.
The common worth per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That is not fairly as excessive as the $4.82 record set two years ago, however the Agriculture Division predicts costs are going to soar one other 20% this yr.
Buyers in some elements of the nation are already paying greater than double the common worth, or worse, discovering empty cabinets of their native grocery shops. Natural and cage-free varieties are much more costly.
Some grocery shops have even restricted what number of eggs consumers should buy.
“It’s simply theft,” mentioned Minneapolis resident Sage Mills, who purchased eggs to bake a birthday cake final week. “Eggs was once type of a staple meals for us, however now , you would possibly as properly simply exit to eat.”
What’s driving up costs?
The chook flu outbreak that began in 2022 is the primary motive egg costs are up a lot.
Anytime the virus is discovered on a poultry farm, your entire flock is slaughtered to assist restrict the virus’ unfold. And with huge egg farms routinely housing greater than 1 million chickens, only a few infections could cause a provide crunch.
The issue tends to linger as a result of it takes months to get rid of all of the carcasses, disinfect barns and usher in new birds.
Greater than 145 million chickens, turkeys and different birds have been slaughtered for the reason that present outbreak started, with the overwhelming majority of them being egg-laying chickens.
Cage-free egg legal guidelines in 10 states may additionally be accountable for some provide disruptions and worth will increase. The legal guidelines set minimal house for chickens or cage-free necessities for egg-laying hens. They’ve already gone into impact in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan. At a Goal in Chicago on Monday, a dozen massive standard eggs price $4.49 however a dozen massive cage-free eggs had been promoting for $6.19.
Why is the virus so laborious to manage?
Hen flu is primarily unfold by wild birds resembling geese and geese as they migrate. Whereas it’s deadly to a wide range of animals, these species can typically carry it with out getting sick, which provides the virus an opportunity to mutate and thrive.
The virus may be unfold by means of droppings or any interplay between farm-raised poultry and wild birds. It is also simply tracked right into a farm on somebody’s boots or by car.
Unlike previous outbreaks, the one which started in 2022 did not die out in excessive summer season temperatures.
The virus discovered one other new host when dairy cattle began getting sick final March. That creates extra alternatives for the virus to linger and unfold and in contrast to poultry, cattle aren’t slaughtered after they get sick as a result of they not often die from chook flu.
Greater than 5 dozen folks have additionally turn out to be ill with bird flu and one person died since final March. Almost all of them labored round sick animals. Well being officers haven’t but discovered proof of the illness spreading from individual to individual.
What’s being completed to cease the virus?
Farmers go to nice lengths to guard their flocks.
Many poultry farms put in truck washes to disinfect autos coming into their property and require employees to bathe and alter garments earlier than stepping inside a barn. They’ve additionally invested in duplicate units of instruments so nothing utilized in one barn is shared.
Some poultry farmers have even invested in lasers that shoot beams of inexperienced mild in random patterns to discourage geese and geese from touchdown.
Dairy farmers isolate any sick cattle and do extra testing earlier than shifting animals off the farm — particularly if there was a close-by outbreak or if the cows are being despatched to a meat processing plant. The federal government can also be testing milk.
Future vaccines would possibly assist, but it surely’s not sensible to vaccinate tens of millions of chickens by means of pictures, and different nations would possibly refuse to buy meat from vaccinated birds.
Well being officers emphasize that any sick birds or cattle are stored out of the meals provide. Cooking meat to 165 levels (74 Celsius) kills chook flu, E. coli, salmonella or anything. Pasteurization additionally kills the virus in milk. Raw milk is the one meals product linked to sicknesses to date.
How a lot has the outbreak price to date?
It’s not possible to know the way a lot farmers have spent to seal barns, construct bathe homes for employees or to undertake different biosecurity measures.
“Over the past 5 years, my small farm alone has spent a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} on biosecurity,” mentioned Minnesota turkey farmer Loren Brey. “However not solely that, it is the time day by day that you just’re attending to biosecurity.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has spent no less than $1.14 billion compensating farmers for the birds they’ve needed to kill. An identical quantity wasn’t instantly out there for a way a lot has been spent to help dairies.
USDA spokeswoman Shilo Weir mentioned the division additionally spent greater than $576 million by itself response.
The costs of turkey, milk and chicken have additionally seen some strain from chook flu.
Mike Vickers, a supervisor at Sentyrz Liquor & Grocery store in Minneapolis, mentioned he can’t even inventory any natural, cage-free or brown eggs proper now and is restricted as a substitute to promoting massive or jumbo eggs. He understands the ache clients are feeling.
“It’s the primary time in my life that I’ve ever needed to be type of embarrassed on what I am promoting eggs for,” he mentioned. “And it’s not our fault. We’re paying at this time $7.45 for a dozen eggs. We’re promoting for $7.59. We’re making $0.14. That’s doesn’t pay the payments.”
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Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Vancleave contributed from Minneapolis and Durbin from Detroit.
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