The value of eggs has risen dramatically lately throughout the US. A dozen eggs price US$1.20 (92p) in June 2019, however the worth is now round US$4.90 (with a peak of US$8.17 in early March).
Some eating places have imposed surcharges on egg-based dishes, bringing much more consideration to escalating prices. And there are additionally shortages on grocery store cabinets.
Within the coming months, the US plans to import as much as 100 million of this client staple. Authorities officers are approaching nations from Turkey to Brazil with enquiries about eggs for export.
Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins, who beforehand mentioned that one choice to the disaster was for individuals to get a chicken for his or her yard, urged within the Wall Road Journal that costs are unlikely to stabilise for some months. And Donald Trump lately shared an article on Reality Social calling on the general public to “shut up about egg costs”.
The primary explanation for the issue is an outbreak of avian flu that has resulted in over 166 million birds within the US being slaughtered. Round 98% of the nation’s chickens are produced on manufacturing facility farms, that are ripe for contagion.
In line with the Centers for Disease Control, the flu has already unfold to a number of hundred dairy cattle and to 1 human. The USDA lately introduced a US$1 billion plan to counter the issue, with funding for improved bio-security, vaccine analysis and compensation to farmers.
In January 2025, Donald Trump’s White Home press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, blamed the earlier administration for top egg costs. It’s true that birds were slaughtered on President Joe Biden’s watch, however this was and stays normal follow at instances of chook flu outbreaks and had additionally been the case in the course of the Obama and first Trump administrations.
Nevertheless, this factors to the best way the rising worth of eggs has turn out to be a political touchstone. It was referred to commonly in marketing campaign speeches and press briefings as an indication of issues going mistaken and a logo of the US financial system confronted. Donald Trump promised to repair the value of eggs swiftly if elected, however thus far the problem exhibits no signal of going away.
Costs are nonetheless trending up. Even when costs immediately drop, as they’ve this week, the general public understand how less expensive they was once till lately, and don’t are likely to really feel higher.
There are a selection of the reason why egg costs have turn out to be an vital to US politicians. First, nearly everybody buys eggs. So the scarcity and subsequent worth rise is newsworthy and impacts customers in all revenue brackets.
Secondly, they’re a measure of broader financial vulnerabilities, so egg-related issues are typically half of a bigger story about how weak the financial system is. And thirdly, egg costs are political due to Trump’s promise to convey them down.
Learn extra:
US inflation has increased since Trump took office – why prices are unlikely to come down soon
Polls showed that the financial system and inflation have been key components in voter alternative on election day 2024. In February 2025, Donald Trump did an interview with NBC News during which he mentioned he gained the election on the border and groceries.
On immigration, voters usually base their opinions on what they understand to be true. For instance, powerful rhetoric on constructing a wall might equate with a way of feeling that the president is taking sturdy motion, whether or not something tangible truly materialises or not.
With groceries, actuality trumps notion. The value of eggs is printed on the field and the fee is paid instantly by voters.
Then there are the egg producers. US farmers tended to overwhelmingly assist Trump on election day, so it’s prudent for him to really feel their ache, or at the very least seem to. Farming areas voted for him more and more in his three election efforts, even rising their assist for him in 2020 after commerce wars and worth will increase which might have negatively impacted them.
One other issue that will push up egg costs is that an estimated 70% of the factory farm workforce is immigrant labour, and as many as 40% are undocumented. Ought to the administration’s plans for top tariffs and mass deportations come to fruition, the business would wrestle to operate.
Additional meals worth will increase shall be inevitable, with potential exacerbation by way of the funding freezes for some USDA programmes that Trump has enacted. As of March 2025, US$1 billion in cuts has been introduced, the implications of that are already being felt by farmers. The “ache now for achieve later” message is a tough political promote.
Even within the present period of worldwide turbulence, elections are largely gained on extra pedestrian issues. Particularly, “kitchen-table” economics is relatable to each voter, no matter how grand, or not, their desk is.
People shall be conscious that in neighbouring Canada, egg costs haven’t risen dramatically and there haven’t been shortages. However costs in Canada have been historically increased than the US, that is partially at the very least as a result of farming requirements differ.
The US does not have high welfare standards for agricultural staff or animals, and this shortcoming must be addressed to be able to assist scale back future threat of flu, however that is more likely to additionally increase costs.
Blaming the earlier incumbent will not be a sturdy stance for Donald Trump. As former president Harry Truman may remind him: “The buck stops right here.” Proper at his desk.
