Are egg producers inflating prices during the bird flu outbreak to boost profits?
Are egg producers inflating prices during the bird flu outbreak to boost profits?
Egg producers blame the ongoing bird flu outbreak for driving prices up to record highs. But some believe giant companies are taking advantage of their market dominance to profit handsomely at the expense of egg buyers.
Summary
Egg producers blame the bird flu outbreak for record-high prices, but critics argue dominant companies are exploiting supply shortages to boost profits.
With over 166 million birds culled and egg layers significantly reduced, prices surged from under $2 to nearly $5 per dozen.
Egg supply is down only 4% from last year, yet profits have surged. Cal-Maine Foods, supplying 20% of U.S. eggs, reported a $219 million profit in the last quarter, compared to just $1.2 million before the outbreak, a 18,150% increase.
Lawmakers and advocacy groups are calling for a government investigation into potential monopolistic practices.
Yes
A rare inversion of Betteridge's law of headlines is "whenever someone questions whether or not the rich and powerful are exploiting everyone, the answer is yes"
People have to understand that if the price is too high, they can just not buy it.
It is as simple as that. As long as you buy, it is not too expensive. Just stop eating eggs.
What you're saying is true in fact, but I feel like you're letting the price gougers off the hook a little. Eggs are popular because they're versatile, nutritionally dense and traditionally cheap. Eggs are almost the best breakfast kids can have before school because they help with focus and keep them full. There really isn't a replacement at the same price point. I don't think we should expect them to be so cheap that we rely on animal cruelty, but they shouldn't be a luxury item either.
EDIT: to clarify, it's the protein and fat that help with focus and fullness, not eggs specifically.
Yes, eggs are very good nutritionwise. But deseases like mentioned in the post (those greedy company owners) should steer people away from it. Somehow it doesn't and people keep buying it.
I'd prefer oats + (soy) yoghurt (skyr) + fruits
Cottage cheese is a delicious replacement. Tons of fat and protein. It takes seasonings very well, and/or you can add just about anything to it.
I was just briefly fact checking myself and apparently it can even replace eggs in some kind of baking! That's cool.
I like it many ways but with nuts added, a bit of hot sauce, and whatever seasoning is a great go to. I forgot how much I loved it until a couple months ago.
Food too expensive? Just don't eat.
Housing too expensive? Just don't sleep.
Haven't bought eggs all year. Not over $4. Of course, for me, they're just a nice treat...shoyu eggs make a great snack; egg baked on khachapuri; fried over rice. Some people, they're a key protein, or essential to cakes & cookies. I figure, if the price is high, then leaving them on the shelf makes more available where they're irreplaceable, but I can still feel bad for people who have to pay that price.
And people have to understand that Marie Antoinette said the same line and it started the french revolution.
They did last time.
Yeah people act like this hasn't been going on for years at this point.
Remember 2023? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Egg Producers Accused of Price Gouging After 718% Profit Revealed
Lawmakers and advocacy groups are calling for a government investigation into potential monopolistic practices.
lol. this government believes in free market and corporate profits. if found guilty of monopolistic practices the top execs will immediately be offered more tax breaks, handouts and/or high profile government positions
I BOUGHT my eggs from small local farmers but they have been charging market prices. I asked a few of them why. One said if he didn't that people would swoop in and buy all his inventory and likely resell it. Another, who ALSO has not been affected by bird flu said it is an investment for IF he loses his flock. So now I don't buy eggs and have not been to a breakfast diner in about a year. I have actually ceased from eating out completely and purchase my food mostly from local farms and cut out meat. My cholesterol, sugar and BP have all greatly improved. Who knew, less is more. I am still annoyed that local farmers are keeping up with the market. The local Amish sold "pun'kins" to Walmart at .50 a piece which Walmart then sold for up to $8. At the Amish stand, they were selling them for $8.
What's a "pun'kin"?
I'm guessing it's a quantity of eggs, but Google isn't helping.
A pumpkin.
The possibility of losing their entire flock of chickens is a pretty reasonable concern right now.
Are
eggproducers inflating pricesduring the bird flu outbreakto boost profits?Yes
Got 6 chickens last year, the wife said we probably spent too much decking out their living space. I say probably, but they're more pets for me to have, the 6 eggs a day is just a nice bonus.
Smash cut to this year: suddenly my "investment" is going to be paid off much sooner 😅
If true, Republicans also voted for it.
That is what zero regulations and zero enforcement gets you which is exactly what Trump embodies when gutting regulations and federal funding and jobs for enforcement agencies.
100% they are.
I don’t know truth as I one saw YouTube Videos of grocery stores
Egg prices for a dozen… in Canada are around $4.75 (Canadian) In Mexico $53-$70 pesos… or around $2.50-$3.50 US
Edit: after quick search looks like Mexico avoided bird flu because they vaccinate their chickens… didn’t realize we are that strong against vaccination we won’t even vax the chix
The vaccination effort would increase man hour costs and the cost of the vaccines. Can’t do anything that might affect profits.
Yeah because all farm hands are American citizens that make reasonable wages right?
They voted to make sure that they all are.
yes
They were told they are supposed to do it. Anyone who complains should be shown MAGAs support for it all the way through.
In Trump's America, that's entirely plausible.
I live in Alaska, and if nobody was talking about the eggs thing I wouldn't have had more of a thought about it than "huh, eggs are a little expensive right now. Or are they? Have they always been this expensive?"
For reference, eggs here are $10-$11 a dozen. And for extra reference, a regular sized container of strawberries fluctuates between $5 and $12, and a carton of ice cream (e.g. Dreyer's) is generally around $12 if it's not on sale.
The thing is, around here people just... shift what they buy mostly. Strawberries are expensive? Time to buy apples. Ice cream is expensive? Wait to buy until it's on sale, then buy 8. Bread is only $4.50 a loaf? HOLY SHIT, FILL HALF THE FREEZER.
I'm not trying to minimize the issue. There are lots of people who specifically need eggs (e.g. bakers), but for the most part, I feel like this is some weird hyper-fixation. This feels like toilet paper at the beginning of the pandemic.
To egg distributors: sell more 6-packs. Outside of baking, I just don't think normal people need that many eggs.
Some people have been having one or three eggs every day for the past 60 years. For me, I just stopped eating eggs, for these people it's harder. It's dumb but what isn't?
It comes down to upbringing. I rarely had eggs for breakfast growing up but my partner had eggs every morning. They strongly prefer 2-3 eggs every morning so we go through a dozen a week. I maintain 2 dozen in the fridge at all times to cover spikes for lunch/diner uses.
We also have no kids. Some people with 2 or 3 kids also grew up on eggs so that's a dozen gone in a day or two. That's several dozen a week.
If people keep buying, the prices will also never go back to what they were as sellers will decide that the market supports it (though probably reducing what farmers actually get so of course the middlemen get all the profit -- buy direct and local wherever possible!)
Narrator: "they are"
It wouldn’t surprise me if they were increasing prices not to take profits and keep them, but to increase profits and purchase politicians. You know… exactly like what’s been happening with this most recent “inflation,” we’ve had.
Just a reminder that a scant couple years ago, egg prices skyrocketed under claims of inflation..and were cut in half almost overnight when Harris threatened RICO investigations.
Which also had supermarkets like Kroger coming forward to admit to gouging (to prevent investigations into other shit they were doing)
If you want to tell, look at the stock on the shelves.
If the shelves are full of eggs they've inflated the prices.
There should be a supply and demand problem for prices to raise organically.
President Felon in in charge, they are totally going to rob consumers. No one will stop them. I don't eat eggs so I am rooting for the prices to go up. Are they $20/a dozen yet?
My big question is that if a whole flock is killed when bird flu is discovered, why are JUST egg prices going up? My local grocery store recently had a sale on chicken but the eggs are in short supply and cost nearly 10 times what they used to a few months ago? Shouldn't chicken meat be expensive too? Or do I not know anything about poultry farming and bird flu?
Again? Probably.
They most probably are. Whenever there is high uncertainty in prices, producers will maximise profit by selling everything at the upper limit and use something like "safety buffer" or "restocking at a more expensive rate" bla as a bullshit excuse. Has been happening in Turkey for the last five years basically across every daily household product range and hospitality sector.
prices surged from under $2 to nearly $5 per dozen.
Where the fuck does this editor live? Cuz where I am, they went from $2 to $12.
Absolutely.
Eggs are really hard to steal. Not impossible, just difficult.
Fuck do you think?
Nooo they wouldn't fleece us at the first opportunity, not a chance /s
Are (insert here) inflating prices?
Answer is always yes.
Only exception is the Costco hot dog.
Rotisserie Chicken ;)
There is absolutely no real proof of this.
But the answer is yes.
a counterexample to betteridge's law of headlines!
Yes. Next question.
This article dances around profiteering claims but doesn’t dig deep enough into corporate practices.
🐱🐱
They wouldn't!!
Its called supply and demand. There are less eggs… so they cost more. Lol.
Of course not, Trump specifically banned that!