U.S. Egg Prices Surge Amid Supply Disruptions and Bird Flu Outbreaks
Wholesale egg prices in the United States climbed sharply this week as supply shortages intensified, driven by a combination of weather-related disruptions and fresh outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
According to the latest USDA market report, the national average price for truckload quantities of graded, loose, White Large shell eggs jumped USD0.68 to USD6.55 per dozen, with a strong upward trend. In New York, cartoned Large shell eggs reached USD7.24 per dozen, while the California benchmark declined slightly to USD8.35 per dozen.
Egg demand weakened due to extreme weather affecting consumer shopping patterns. However, limited supply has led retailers to impose purchasing limits, halt promotions, and maintain near-record prices. The egg products sector has also been impacted, with manufacturers facing light spot market availability, forcing some producers to redirect supply to the higher-priced retail market.
The latest HPAI outbreak has exacerbated supply challenges, with over 8.3 million birds lost across five states (California, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, and Indiana) since the start of 2025. The outbreak has particularly hit conventional caged systems, which account for 82% of the losses.
Shell egg inventories remain tight, with overall stocks slightly down despite a 2% rise in the supply of Large eggs. Breaking stock inventory declined nearly 5%, as processors struggle with limited supplies, while liquid egg prices surged—frozen whites rose $0.25 to USD1.91 per pound.
Industry analysts anticipate continued volatility in egg prices, particularly as producers attempt to recover from HPAI-related losses. The non-organic cage-free table egg flock, now standing at 101 million birds, is 3% smaller than a year ago, reflecting the challenges of repopulating flocks in the face of disease outbreaks.
With ongoing market instability, consumers may face higher egg prices and supply constraints in the coming weeks, says the American agency.
For the baking industry, egg replacers have been a reasonable solution to the market fluctuations, even if they imply recipe reformulation. World Bakers has covered the various egg replacement solutions in these recent articles: