Commonground
Senior Moderator
Media
March 13, 2026
USDA wildlife monitoring finds high viral load in migratory birds crossing all four US flyways
Egg prices have declined rapidly over the last year as the market normalizes following a significant avian flu outbreak that began in 2022, though the threat of a resurgence in the virus could lead to volatility later this year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday reported the consumer price index(CPI) for February, which showed egg prices declined by 3.8% in the month and are down 42.1% from a year ago. By contrast, headline CPI inflation was 2.4% higher than it was a year ago.
Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, told FOX Business that the U.S. egg industry has been on a "rollercoaster of avian influenza detection" since 2022, with detections ranging from about 20 million birds affected to nearly zero birds, depending on the time of year.
"Because of this, we've had times when the laying flock was damaged enough to really drive prices higher," Nelson said. He added that a dozen eggs cost around $4.14 in December 2024 and climbed to a high of $6.22 a dozen in March 2025 – but those have since declined to about $2.50 a dozen, according to data from the BLS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service.
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"USDA has made some dramatic improvements in the last year," he explained, noting that the agency offers a wildlife assessment that looks for ways wild birds may infiltrate an egg farm as well as a domestic assessment that considers ways to promote agricultural hygiene such as undertaking a foot bath before entering an egg layer house.
"USDA offers these free of charge and then it becomes up to the egg farmer to implement the changes that they need to help secure their farm," Nelson said, adding that it has "dramatically improved the ability to keep supplies in the pipeline."
continued: https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/egg-prices-plunge-avian-flu-impact-eases-risks-remain
March 13, 2026
USDA wildlife monitoring finds high viral load in migratory birds crossing all four US flyways
Egg prices have declined rapidly over the last year as the market normalizes following a significant avian flu outbreak that began in 2022, though the threat of a resurgence in the virus could lead to volatility later this year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday reported the consumer price index(CPI) for February, which showed egg prices declined by 3.8% in the month and are down 42.1% from a year ago. By contrast, headline CPI inflation was 2.4% higher than it was a year ago.
Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, told FOX Business that the U.S. egg industry has been on a "rollercoaster of avian influenza detection" since 2022, with detections ranging from about 20 million birds affected to nearly zero birds, depending on the time of year.
"Because of this, we've had times when the laying flock was damaged enough to really drive prices higher," Nelson said. He added that a dozen eggs cost around $4.14 in December 2024 and climbed to a high of $6.22 a dozen in March 2025 – but those have since declined to about $2.50 a dozen, according to data from the BLS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service.
-snip-
"USDA has made some dramatic improvements in the last year," he explained, noting that the agency offers a wildlife assessment that looks for ways wild birds may infiltrate an egg farm as well as a domestic assessment that considers ways to promote agricultural hygiene such as undertaking a foot bath before entering an egg layer house.
"USDA offers these free of charge and then it becomes up to the egg farmer to implement the changes that they need to help secure their farm," Nelson said, adding that it has "dramatically improved the ability to keep supplies in the pipeline."
continued: https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/egg-prices-plunge-avian-flu-impact-eases-risks-remain