A Washington Post June 5, 2015 headline read,
“Egg rationing in America has officially begun”
It is happening in Texas. One grocery chain is limiting the number of cartons any one customer can buy.
The U.S. wholesale price of eggs has more than doubled. That also means the cost of consumer eggs as well as commercial food containing eggs like bread, cakes, cookies, mayonnaise and many other products will escalate.
Why?
National Public Radio on June 10, 2015 explained,
“Commercial bakers and restaurants have been hard hit by the shortage of liquid egg, made scarce because of the largest outbreak of avian influenza to ever hit the U.S.”
Some think the worst of the bird flu is over.
NPR added,
“On Tuesday, the first turkey farm that was infected got back online in Minnesota. But on Monday, the first case of bird flu was reported in Michigan, with a Canada goose testing positive for the disease.”
But even if the poultry disease has peaked, prices are not expected to immediately decrease. According to NPR.
“‘Egg prices will likely go down – but not for months, as the flocks are being rebuilt. The infected farms have to sit idle for six weeks after the birds are destroyed, and young hens – called pullets – don’t begin laying eggs until they’re about five months old.”
The Washington Post article closed with,
“And with each wrinkle of bad news, the idea of a national egg shortage, which was once uttered as though it was a mere apocalyptic musing, is suddenly looking like a real possibility.”
Like with so many other things.
Photo credit: Adelina W
Read the Washington Post article here
Read the National Public Radio article here
