Egg scarcity in the US: Bird flu wreaks havoc on supply and prices
The American egg market is experiencing a severe crisis due to bird flu, which could persist for many months, reports CNN. Consequently, shelves in certain parts of the US, such as the areas surrounding Washington, are devoid of eggs.
Paweł Żuchowski is among those highlighting the issues with egg availability in shops around Washington. The RMF FM correspondent shared images on social media depicting empty shelves where eggs should be.
"Meanwhile, in the shops around Washington, the egg shelves look like this," he captioned the photos.
Increase in egg prices
What is driving the difficulty in accessing eggs? The United States has been grappling with a serious egg shortage since the start of the year, as confirmed by CNN. This situation arises from the spread of bird flu, which has significantly reduced the population of laying hens on farms.
- We can't resolve this issue overnight. It's a process that could take between six to nine months. This results in periodic shortages in some markets, which occur locally - stated Emily Metz, President of the American Egg Board, as quoted by CNN.
The Publix supermarket chain, with nearly 1,500 locations in the US, confirmed the "limited availability" of eggs on shelves. In New York state, a sign on one of the empty shelves indicated that due to bird flu, certain types of eggs "may be temporarily unavailable".
The reduced supply of eggs on the market has led to increasing prices. According to data from NielsenIQ, provided by the American Egg Board, the average price of a dozen eggs of any type was $4.33 at the end of December, marking a rise of nearly 25 percent compared to the beginning of November.
Source: CNN, TVN24, WP Wiadomości
