Eggs are getting more expensive and harder to find
WALTHAM - As consumers have gotten more comfortable with more expensive grocery trips, one aisle is really starting to make them notice just how much money they're shelling out.
Egg prices have risen 267% in the last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Eggs have always been a good source of inexpensive protein, but not anymore," said Newton resident Tim Mahoney. He treks to the Waltham Market Basket to find cheaper prices.
Still, wherever you look, eggs range from $4 a dozen to $6.59, depending on the type of egg. And for one of the cartons of eggs? You'll pay over $8.
While consumers are quick to blame inflation, or a Massachusetts law that protects chickens by mandating a certain type of coop - there's a direct reason for the price hike. Avian Influenza swept through the chicken population in 2022, killing more than 43 million egg-laying hens, according to the USDA.
As the hen population has decreased, so have the number of available eggs for sale. This peaked before the holidays, when egg demand is at its highest for baking, and led to the significant price jumps.
Weeks later, consumers are still feeling those high prices in their wallets. "That's just insane," said Ryan Rowe of Walpole. He went to BJ's where he bought five dozen eggs for $24.
The bad news: experts don't predict prices will drop in the immediate future, as the poultry industry still deals with the fallout from the bird flu.
