US egg production has plummeted to a seven-year low during one of the worst-ever bird flu outbreaks, which will result in eggs getting even more expensive.
The price for eggs is set to rise as much as 21% compared to a year ago, the biggest increase among all food staples tracked by the US Department of Agriculture. In April, the outlook was for an increase of 6% to 7%.
The outbreak of avian influenza has affected more than 38 million birds in the US, driving both the number of egg-laying birds and the production of table eggs down to the lowest level since 2015, the last time the bird flu virus ran rampant in the poultry industry.