Egg Prices Rose 59% In 2022—And One Group Accuses Egg Suppliers Of ‘Foul Play’

Topline

As egg costs have soared 59%—at a median value of $4.25—one advocacy group claims egg suppliers are in a “collusive scheme” to maintain costs excessive to maximise earnings.

Key Information

Farm Motion, an advocacy group essential of huge agribusiness, claims in a letter to the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) that it ought to examine egg suppliers for “value gouging” and “value coordination” by dominant egg producers together with Cal-Maine meals and Rose Acre Farms.

Excessive costs in 2022 have largely been attributed to an avian flu outbreak, which has to date affected 58 million chickens as of January, in keeping with knowledge from the U.S. Division of Agriculture.

In accordance with Farm Motion, egg producers noticed a 40% enhance in earnings final 12 months, and are accusing them of turning the avian flu and inflation into an “alternative to extract egregious earnings,” says the group.

Cal-Maine Meals, one of many largest egg producers within the nation, denied the allegations, as Max Bowman, the chief monetary officer and vice-president, advised CNBC that aside from the avian flu, growing prices of labor, hen feed and gasoline contributed to increased egg manufacturing prices.

Key Background

Egg costs throughout the nation hit report degree costs in 2022 as they’re promoting for greater than twice the median value from 2021 ($1.78). The avian flu began again in February 2022 with Iowa, the biggest egg producer within the U.S., hit the toughest and earlier than it unfold to 47 different states. In 2015, the earlier avian flu outbreak affected 21 states and 50 million birds had been culled because of containing the unfold of the flu and was, on the time, probably the most critical animal well being occasion in keeping with a USDA report.

Chied Critics

Whereas Farm Motion is pushing the FTC to analyze egg producers for the sudden soar in egg costs, economists imagine it’s merely present occasions that affected the value on the grocery store. “I don’t assume we’ve seen something that makes us assume that there’s one thing there apart from regular economics taking place proper now,” Amy Smith, vice chairman at Superior Financial Options advised CNBC. “I believe it was simply form of an ideal storm of stuff that got here collectively.”