White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to an inquiry on rising egg costs by blaming the prior administration. Leavitt was right when she said that the Division of Agriculture was directed to kill over 100 million chickens, resulting in a mass scarcity. Costs steadily rose all through Biden’s time period, as a median dozen value solely $1.60 in February 2021.
Egg costs elevated by 20% to $1.93 throughout Biden’s first yr in workplace. We noticed the avian flu outbreak in 2022, which together with different components introduced egg costs up one other 30% on a yearly foundation to $2.51. Egg costs proceed to rise in 2023, reaching round $3.50 per dozen throughout February however barely reducing by year-end of $2.50. We noticed egg costs surge considerably by 60% from 2023 to 2024. The Agriculture Division believes that egg costs will rise by one other 20.3% in 2025.
As reported by the USDA:
“Retail egg prices increased by 8.4 percent in December 2024 and continue to experience volatile month-to-month changes. An outbreak of HPAI that began in 2022, with recent detections in January 2025, contributed to elevated egg prices by reducing the U.S. egg-layer flock. HPAI continued to drive egg price increases in 2024. Egg prices in December 2024 were 36.8 percent higher than in December 2023 but still below peak prices in January 2023. Egg prices are predicted to increase 20.3 percent in 2025, with a prediction interval of 0.1 to 45.3 percent.”
The fowl flu is definitely a fundamental issue right here. The USDA said that 108 million chickens have died since 2022, however a further 13 million have died in current MONTHS. The Animal Well being Safety Act permits the USDA the authority to kill off contaminated herds and flocks. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention declare that chickens have at finest a ten% survival price after contracting the fowl flu.
Culling has been a normal follow that can’t be prevented if we’re to consider the flocks had been certainly contaminated. Alarmingly, fowl flu has been detected amongst cattle and depopulation efforts are underway, which is able to increase the costs of milk and beef. The USDA believes milk costs, that are already up 11.7% on the yearly, will rise by a further 1.3% in 2025. Beef costs, up 4.9% yearly, are anticipated to rise by 1.5%. Meals costs have been on the rise for years, and I’ve lengthy warned to stockpile meals in case of provide shortages.
Our fashions don’t point out that meals inflation will ease in 2025. The truth is, I’ve repeatedly warned that folks might wish to stockpile meals for the subsequent two years as there will likely be climate occasions and provide chain shortages. Our mannequin warns that we might even see one other extreme drought, most likely between 2025 to 2027, in each the US and Canada. The drought circumstances are already starting, which is consistent with our mannequin, which warns it is going to increase into 2025-2027.
