CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Just when we thought that egg prices were on their way back to normal, 'eggsperts' now say their cost is hopping back up, just in time for Easter.
According to Ag life researchers, we are seeing the highest retail price in eggs since last April, which happened to be when Easter fell on in 2023. Texas A&M Ag service professor and extension specialist Dr. David Anderson said this spike is seasonal and is nothing like the 'eggflation' we experienced two years ago.
"Well egg prices have gone up, which you may have noticed at the grocery store," Anderson said. “What we see often times is prices go up before Easter because we have a little more demand and it’s because of Easter egg hunts."
Other Easter traditions like egg decorating, making deviled eggs and cracking cascarones also play a part in the demand.
Dr. Anderson added that another factor in increased egg prices is something the industry is recently recovering from after a spread of avian influenza or "bird flu" across the country.
"So, we’ve actually got egg production that is higher than it was a year ago," he said. "So, we are producing more eggs, we’ve got more egg laying chickens; that's brought prices down from those sky-high levels two years ago."
3NEWS checked in with our local peeps, on the everchanging price in eggs.
General Manager of Champs Meat Market Montre Johnson told 3NEWS that prices constantly go up and down on eggs. He said Champs source its eggs from a local egg wholesaler.
"We get it local here from 'Mother Clucker Farms;' we carry the duck eggs, chicken eggs and the quail,” said Johnson.
According to the general manager, they try and honor their prices regardless of the ups and downs in the industry.
The good news is that the price hike shouldn’t last long.
"We do see prices go down once we are past the Easter holiday demand bump," Anderson said. "The demand gets behind us and the prices come back down again."
He also said that there has been record highs in beef prices and with people using eggs as an alternate source of protein that can also have an impact.
Last year around the Easter holiday, the USDA reported retail eggs nationally were $2.74 per dozen. Anderson said consumers can expect them to be around $2.99 per dozen this year.
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