Despite drop in bird flu cases, eggs prices remain steady

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Egg prices continue to soar in consumer grocery stores across the country, even as wholesale prices decline and bird flu cases are not being found.

The decline in bird flu cases is a positive development, but farms have needed time to sanitize barns and repopulate their flocks.

"The raw product is increased, but then also you've got the just a general increase," Northwest Missouri State agriculture economy professor Billy Brooks said. "It very well could be that stores are looking at this like 'okay not only has the raw ingredient cost went up, but then we've also got to increase the cost of getting those eggs from the facility all the way to the grocery store.'"

The Associated Press reported wholesale prices for eggs didn't start seeing a decrease until mid-March, leaving little time for the average prices to reset. Additionally grocery stores may not have had the chance to adjust their prices.

In the last month, egg sale records reached new highs, with an average cost of eggs being about $6.23 per dozen, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data.

Local businesses, like the Seventh Street Cafe Downtown, have had to adjust to the new prices by making changes in the way the shop.

"I do some of my shopping at Sam's (Club) for produce just so that I can pick it," Seventh Street Cafe Owner Brennon Calvin said. "I noticed that a lot of the times I'd be there, the eggs were gone. You could buy the smaller (cartons), but if you were trying to get the bulk, you couldn't get the five dozen packs. Because of that, I've been buying them in bulk to make sure that I don't run out when I do need them."

The average cost of eggs per dozen is currently $4.24 in Missouri and $4.41 in Kansas.

Any relief from the lower batches of bird flu will likely be halted until after Easter on April 20.