Just in time for holiday baking, “eggflation” is back. The price of eggs, which soared to record highs in 2022 amidst an avian flu outbreak, is climbing once again.
When the Labor Department reported November’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) it noted that the price of eggs jumped 2.2% from October to November after rising just 01.% the month before.
That price move has also been recorded by Datasembly, a company that tracks retail grocery prices in real-time. The company says egg prices were a major influence in rising grocery prices during the month.
“It’s at the local level that we can see the most dramatic changes,” a Datasembly spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs. “This is specifically true with the rapidly changing prices in eggs. The range of increases varied quite a bit across different major metro areas and states.
For example, consumers in Phoenix, Minneapolis and Des Moines saw the biggest increase in egg prices. South Dakota, Montana and Iowa are the states with the biggest November egg price increase.
The reason?
Egg prices also rose much faster in rural communities than in urban and suburban areas. So why are egg prices on the march again?
It’s much the same reason as the 2022 surge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports bird flu seems to be making another appearance at the end of 2023.
As of Dec. 15, 25 states had at least one confirmed infection in at least one flock. Infections peaked in November but have remained high in December, suggesting higher egg prices might be unavoidable in early 2024.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2023-12-18 11:50:04
