Why We’re Still Shelling Out More for Eggs

Donald Trump made the cost of groceries a central theme of his election campaign in 2024, promising in August that he would “immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One” of his second term. By that standard, the president has egg on his face.

Grocery prices rose by 0.5% in January. The worst culprit by far is eggs: the average wholesale price of the protein-rich staple is at a record $8.07 per dozen as of Feb. 21 — a doubling from mid-December, when the price was $4.07, and a gargantuan 351% increase compared to a year ago, when the price was $1.79.

That new high comes after months of rising prices driven by the worst-ever bird flu outbreak in the US. Regulators and experts have failed to reach a consensus on how to stamp out a virus that’s already resulted in the death of more than 130 million birds since 2022, leading to egg shortages and spiking costs.

Businesses and consumers are getting desperate: Panic-buying has led to purchase limits at some retailers. Customs officers have seized record numbers of eggs that travelers have attempted to ferry across the US-Mexico border. In Pennsylvania, authorities are offering a $1,500 reward after thieves made off with 100,000 eggs from a distribution center.

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