U.S. egg manufacturing falls as costs proceed to rise alongside hen flu instances

Egg production in the US fell 4% in November as egg costs and instances of hen flu proceed to rise throughout the nation, based on a report from the US Division of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA’s Nationwide Agricultural Statistics Service reported that egg manufacturing in November was 8.92 billion, down 4% from the identical interval final 12 months .

Of the 8.92 billion eggs produced, 7.68 billion had been desk eggs and 1.24 billion had been hatching eggs, the principle distinction being that eaten eggs usually are not fertilized and can’t turn out to be a chick .

Moreover, in November there have been 376 million eggs laid, a 3% lower from final 12 months, and for each 100 layers there have been a mean of two,374 eggs produced.

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Check tubes labeled “Hen Flu” and eggs are seen on this illustration. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Reuters Photographs)

Since November, the variety of diapers has declined additional, with the USDA reporting a complete of 375 million diapers as of December 1, 2024, a 3% lower from final 12 months.

The information comes as egg costs rise, a pattern that trade specialists predict will persist till 2025 if extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also referred to as “hen flu,” continues. .

Kevin Bergquist, trade director on the Wells Fargo Agri-Meals Institute, stated egg costs have been excessive since 2023 resulting from a mix of seasonal worth will increase across the holidays and egg provide disruption resulting from hen flu.

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Trendy rooster farm for breeding white hens and eggs, multi-level conveyor, inside, copy house, poultry farming (iStock/iStock)

Over the previous 12 months, costs have “usually” remained above 2023 costs and have even “typically exceeded egg costs from 2022 onwards, when HPAI actually took over the egg market”, based on Bergquist.

Wholesale egg costs, which jumped practically 55% in November, don’t essentially mirror desk eggs prices at the grocer, which might fluctuate significantly.

Based on the Client Worth Index, grocery costs rose 0.5% in November, as prices for 4 of the six main grocery meals teams elevated. Eggs confirmed the biggest enhance, by far.

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Within the palms of a girl packing eggs within the grocery store (iStock/iStock)

Costs for meat, poultry and fish rose 1.7% in November, however costs for eggs rose 8.2%.

Before the great avian flu epidemic by March 2022, flock numbers had been at a degree that supported declining egg costs, based on Bergquist. He famous that the wholesale worth was lower than $1.50 per dozen.

Nevertheless, the outbreak disrupted the market, resulting in a file rise in egg costs in December 2022. The common worth was corrected to a decrease degree by 2023 as producers restocked their flocks.

Bergquist stated flock sizes had been hampered once more when avian flu re-emerged in late 2023 and into 2024, resulting in undersupply in egg markets.

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Producers have nonetheless not managed to replenish all the laying inventory with the recurring epidemics this 12 months.

Daniella Genovese of FOX Enterprise contributed to this report.