Egg prices

NPR - Eggs are a pain for American pockets right now. However, relief might finally be on the way. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the national average wholesale price of eggs has been declining since late February. This is a positive sign that the price for eggs at the grocery stores may drop in a few weeks. The decline in the wholesale price is due to the absence of major bird flu outbreaks so far in March, which has allowed the egg supply to recover.

🍳 The eggs currently on shelves were purchased by the retailer at a wholesale price a couple of weeks ago, so grocery store prices might not reflect this change yet. However, Joseph Balagtas, a professor of agriculture economics at Purdue University, says prices could start to ease within days. 
🍳 Americans looking for egg alternatives may be contributing to keeping egg prices from rising further. Experts advise customers not to panic buy eggs, which could increase the cost.
🍳 It takes around six months to a year for farms to recoup when they lose a flock of egg-laying hens to bird flu. 
🍳 Jadrian Wooten, an economics professor at Virginia Tech, says that, hopefully, farms will have brand new hens by summer — but this comes with the assumption that bird flu doesn’t spike again.