Experts predict that the impact of a nationwide avian flu outbreak combined with persistent inflation would cause egg prices in Massachusetts to increase by up to 20% in 2025.
Even though there will only be a 2.2% increase in food prices overall, the virus is already having an impact in several places that were not previously impacted by last year’s avian flu.
The supply of eggs was severely impacted in late 2024 when avian flu killed almost 17 million egg-laying chickens in only November and December.
Massachusetts consumers have already begun to feel the pinch. As the virus spreads throughout the nation, grocery store shelves have experienced a decrease in stock, and buying eggs is getting increasingly difficult.
Customers are now only allowed to buy two cartons of eggs per household at Market Basket outlets in Reading and Burlington in order to help manage the supply shortage.
“They said limit two and I really couldn’t find any brown eggs, they’re all white eggs,” shopper Ken Miller stated. “I have a diet that needs protein and it’s one of my sources of protein. So now I have to, I don’t know, go to something else.”
Price increases have resulted from the disruption of the egg supply chain caused by the avian flu, and this limit is only one example.
The continuous egg shortage is also having an effect on eateries and diners.
“We only get a couple of days’ notice of, ‘Oh hey, guess what, there’s an egg shortage and your eggs are going to double or triple in price,'” Libby White from J&M Diner in Framingham stated. “When it goes from $35 a case to $68, it’s like, ugh.”
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The cost of eggs has already climbed at White’s, a nearby diner, but the proprietor is now able to get eggs from many wholesalers without raising prices for patrons.
Given that the price of eggs is still fluctuating due to the current shortage, this reprieve might only last temporarily.
Notwithstanding the difficulties, the restaurant is making an effort to maintain consistent prices for patrons while managing the volatile market.
Due to shortages and price hikes experienced nationwide, the national avian flu outbreak has now emerged as a significant determinant in egg pricing.
According to experts, this is because millions of chickens have been lost on a large scale, reducing productivity and raising prices for both consumers and companies.
Even though inflation contributes to the general increase in food costs, the avian flu has a particularly noticeable direct effect on the supply of eggs, which makes it ideal for customers trying to find eggs at reasonable costs.
These difficulties will probably continue into the upcoming year as the virus spreads, making eggs more expensive and difficult to locate for consumers in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
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