Bird Flu Causes Egg Prices to Rise

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The bird flu sent the price of turkey and chicken higher. Now it’s driving up the price of eggs.
 
Local restaurants and bakeries are especially noticing the higher prices.

KVRR’s Brittany Ford tells us if they’ll keep going up.

The Midwest can expect to see some of the highest egg prices.

Iowa and Minnesota are the main egg producers in the area, and have had farms wiped out by bird flu.

Businesses in the area that regularly serve eggs will also have to decide to raise prices or not.
 
“If this continues if eggs get up in the 3-and-a half dollar 4 and a half dollar range a dozen, and stay there we probably will have to raise prices,” said Curt Ness Owner of CJ’s Kitchen in Fargo.
 
The reproduction process will be slow; many of the farms that were plagued by the flu have to stay empty for up to 3-months.
 
The current price for a dozen of eggs in the Midwest is costing 2-dollars and 50-cents though with peak egg selling seasons ahead the prices are going to continue to rise.
 
“For the rest of the year if we do and can start production by the end of the year that’s when the holiday demand comes in and egg prices go up anyway. So were in for record high egg prices for the rest of the year,” said NDSU Livestock Economist Tim Petry.
 
Sarah Anderson paid 4-dollars for a dozen eggs at Hornbachers, and says she may soon have to make changes.
 
“Sure I probably will just suck it up and pay for it for a little while but if it continues to stay that way I might just have to adjust my diet or my grocery list who knows,” said Sarah Anderson of Fargo.
 
There have been no new cases within the last week, which is a good sign toward the production process.

Brittany Ford KVRR News.
 
The outbreak has caused the U-S to lose 11-percent of its egg laying hens.