Bird flu outbreak spreads rapidly in the US: Egg prices rise
Problems in food supply have emerged in the US as the bird flu outbreak spreads among animals. The epidemic has caused chicken egg prices to increase.
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The bird flu outbreak spreading across farms has led to the culling of millions of chickens in the US. While egg production has been negatively affected by the outbreak, egg prices have also risen. Restrictions have been placed on chicken egg purchases, with egg prices climbing as high as 10 dollars.
In New York, live poultry markets in some districts were temporarily closed to prevent the spread of bird flu, and some grocery stores added warning notes to egg aisles stating that a customer can purchase a maximum of 3 cartons of eggs. Due to problems in the egg supply chain caused by the bird flu outbreak in the country, markets in and around New York have restricted customer egg purchases, while the price of a dozen eggs has reached 10 dollars at some retail locations.
While it was observed that most shelves containing chicken products were empty, some store management teams stated in posted warning notes that they were 'having difficulty finding eggs that meet health standards' due to the bird flu.
MILLIONS OF CHICKENS CULLED
In statements made by some egg producers and livestock producer associations in the US, it was stated that millions of chickens are culled every month due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and that this has seriously affected production at poultry farms nationwide.
Furthermore, reports in the American media indicated that with the re-emergence of bird flu, 110 million laying hens have been culled in the US since 2022, and some chain restaurants and fast-food companies that sell egg-based breakfasts and sandwiches have increased their menu prices.
In a report published by the US Department of Agriculture in December 2024, it was emphasized that there is a widespread bird flu outbreak in the country, and it was noted that the decrease in egg stocks in the country is also caused by this outbreak. On the other hand, data from the US Department of Labor shows that egg prices in the country have increased by approximately 160 percent over the last 5 years.