WattAgNet: Midwestern egg prices jump in wake of avian influenza

From WATTAgNet:

Prices for eggs have been increasing in the Midwest as the region’s poultry farmers deal with cases of avian influenza, which have led to the deaths and stamping out of millions of layer hens.

According to reports, the price of a carton of large eggs in the Midwest is now about $1.39, an increase of about 17 percent.

More than 24 million hens have been lost as a result of avian influenza outbreaks in Iowa and other nearby states. In one case, a layer flock of 5.3 million in Osceola County, Iowa, was affected by avian influenza. The most recent case was confirmed on May 12 in Dixon County, Nebraska, where samples from a layer flock of 1.7 million tested positive for H5N2 avian influenza.

While the reduced supply of hens and subsequent reduction in egg supply has caused a price increase, a May 8 report issued by Iowa State University business analyst Maro Ibarburu stated that it may be too early to truly tell what kind of impact the avian influenza outbreak will have on wholesale egg prices, citing that even though the egg supply has dropped, other factors may shift the demand for eggs, including domestic and export market considerations that may counter the supply impact on price.

To track confirmed cases of the North American avian influenza outbreak, see WATTAgNet's avian influenza tracker map and bookmark the avian influenza update page for news about and analysis of avian influenza.