White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to an inquiry on rising egg costs by blaming the prior administration. Leavitt was appropriate when she acknowledged that the Division of Agriculture was directed to kill over 100 million chickens, resulting in a mass scarcity. Costs steadily rose all through Biden’s time period, as a mean dozen value solely $1.60 in February 2021.
Egg costs elevated by 20% to $1.93 throughout Biden’s first yr in workplace. We noticed the avian flu outbreak in 2022, which together with different elements introduced egg costs up one other 30% on a yearly foundation to $2.51. Egg costs proceed to rise in 2023, reaching round $3.50 per dozen throughout February however barely lowering by year-end of $2.50. We noticed egg costs surge considerably by 60% from 2023 to 2024. The Agriculture Division believes that egg costs will rise by one other 20.3% in 2025.
As reported by the USDA:
“Retail egg costs elevated by 8.4 p.c in December 2024 and proceed to expertise risky month-to-month adjustments. An outbreak of HPAI that started in 2022, with latest detections in January 2025, contributed to elevated egg costs by decreasing the U.S. egg-layer flock. HPAI continued to drive egg value will increase in 2024. Egg costs in December 2024 have been 36.8 p.c larger than in December 2023 however nonetheless beneath peak costs in January 2023. Egg costs are predicted to extend 20.3 p.c in 2025, with a prediction interval of 0.1 to 45.3 p.c.”
The chicken flu is actually a important issue right here. The USDA acknowledged that 108 million chickens have died since 2022, however an extra 13 million have died in latest MONTHS. The Animal Well being Safety Act permits the USDA the authority to kill off contaminated herds and flocks. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention declare that chickens have at greatest a ten% survival fee after contracting the chicken flu.
Culling has been an ordinary apply that can not be averted if we’re to imagine the flocks have been certainly contaminated. Alarmingly, chicken flu has been detected amongst cattle and depopulation efforts are underway, which can elevate the costs of milk and beef. The USDA believes milk costs, that are already up 11.7% on the yearly, will rise by an extra 1.3% in 2025. Beef costs, up 4.9% yearly, are anticipated to rise by 1.5%. Meals costs have been on the rise for years, and I’ve lengthy warned to stockpile meals in case of provide shortages.
Our fashions don’t point out that meals inflation will ease in 2025. In truth, I have repeatedly warned that individuals might need to stockpile meals for the subsequent two years as there will likely be climate occasions and provide chain shortages. Our mannequin warns that we may even see one other extreme drought, in all probability between 2025 to 2027, in each the US and Canada. The drought circumstances are already starting, which is in step with our mannequin, which warns it’ll increase into 2025-2027.
