Bird flu has been spreading like wildfire throughout the poultry industry, reducing supply and driving up the cost of eggs.
And then late last week, the state of Georgia suspended “all poultry activities” in the state, citing the confirmation of the highly pathogenic virus in a commercial poultry flock there. On Wednesday, the state confirmed the pathogen in a second commercial flock.
Georgia is the nation’s largest poultry producer, meaning this is a huge hit to the industry. “This is a serious threat to Georgia’s No. 1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry,” Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Tyler Harper said in a statement last week.
All of this came after the price of eggs hit their highest level since 2022. The producer price index for eggs has more than doubled over the past year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The U.S. poultry industry has been hit with sporadic outbreaks of bird flu since 2022, when the illness was reported in a commercial flock, which drove egg prices to record highs by the end of that year.
Since then, sporadic outbreaks have led to production halts and supply decreases that end up driving up prices. The poultry industry is in the midst of one of those outbreaks right now.
More than 20 million chickens for egg production were killed last quarter because of avian flu, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
That has led to news of egg shortagesaround the country, including grocery shelves devoid of the product or explaining the high prices for eggs to consumers.
Commodity prices have generally been mixed, but the data this year has been particularly tough for breakfast chains, given prices for eggs as well as coffee prices. Prices for coffee have hit 10-year highs, according to Bank of America.
Despite the higher prices, consumers apparently haven’t stopped buying eggs, according to the USDA, which noted last week that consumer demand has been consistent “despite record high prices and temporary shortages of some shell egg types in many retail markets.”
Eggs, the department said, “remain a value protein even at current price levels.”
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